His Box of Letters
by TheIrishShipperholic
Summary: AU/AH, Sequel to "A Soldier's Coming Home". With the Second World War finally fought and won, it is up to the next generation to make it through the Vietnam War.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** His Box of Letters  
**Author:** Katie (TheIrishShipperholic) and Erin (Erin Salvatore)  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but this story  
**Show/Movie/Book:** The Vampire Diaries  
**Couples/Category:** Ensemble pairings. AU/AH  
**Rating:** Mature, for language and sexual situations/scenes  
**Summary:** AU/AH, Sequel to "A Soldier's Coming Home". With the Second World War finally fought and won, it is up to the next generation to make it through the Vietnam War.

**Chapter One**

**The Early-Mid 70s – Mystic Falls**…

Ruby Mikaelson Steward rested a gentle hand on her belly as she fanned herself with a paper plate. She smiled when her 3 year old son Cooper came over to her and kissed her belly. "Momma, do you know when Daddy will be home?" he asked her with a grin that was exactly identical to Caleb's.

Ruby ran a hand through her son's hair. "Daddy will be back this weekend, sweetheart. He just has to fight some very bad men far away from here." She kissed his forehead. "I know you miss him, and believe me, I miss him too."

"I love you, Momma," Cooper said as he kissed her belly again then rushed off to play with his toys on the porch. Ruby smiled at her son and sat down in the rocking chair to watch him play.

**Salvatore Lake House – That Same Moment**…

Carrie Salvatore was excited as she brushed her long, black hair. She had gotten a letter from her boyfriend, Liam Mikaelson, saying that he was coming home and that he would love to see her. He also said he had something to tell her, but wouldn't reveal it in the letter. Even if he didn't say it, the meaning was implied: he was going to ask her to marry him.

She was drawn free from her thoughts when she heard her bedroom door open and her younger sister Katie came inside and moved to plop down onto the bed. "Carrie, I'm bored. Can't we play like we used to?"

"No, Katie, we can't, because I'm too old for playing," Carrie replied, continuing to brush her hair.

Katie groaned. "Ever since you started dating Liam, you've changed. You're not the Carrie I remember."

Carrie looked at her sister through the mirror. "It's called maturity, little sister. You'll experience it too when you're old enough."

"I don't understand you any more, Carrie," Katie whined. "I miss the good old days, before this silly war took over."

Carrie put her brush down and turned to look at Katie. "I don't like this war either, Katie. I don't like having to watch it on the news while we eat dinner. Hell, I'm this close to writing a letter to the President, telling him to put an end to it so I can see the boy I love."

"Is that all that you want, love?" a voice said from the doorway. Carrie squealed and leaped up from her chair, and turning to run into her boyfriend's waiting arms.

Carrie smiled as she kissed him. "I missed you so much. Every time I hear about an innocent soldier being killed, I get scared, thinking that it's you."

Liam returned her kiss and stepped back, framing her face in his hands. "You don't have to be scared anymore, because I'm home, and with you."

"I'm so happy you're home!" she said, putting her hands over his and smiling through her tears. "But, I have a question. Have you seen your parents or any of your family?"

"No, love, I wanted to see you first; you're the most important family member yet," he said before letting her face go and, kneeling down in front of her, pulled out a small jewelry box, opening it to her sight to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. "Carrie Veronica Salvatore, will you do me the proud honor of accepting this ring as I come to you as a man, nothing more and nothing less?"

Carrie couldn't breathe as she looked at the ring and then, seeing that Liam was waiting for an answer, she said, fresh tears in her eyes, "Liam Niklaus Mikaelson, nothing would make me happier than to accept your ring."

"Is that a yes?"

Carrie nodded. "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"

He grinned then placed the ring onto her finger before standing up and embracing her, swinging her around in a circle. "I love you, so, so much, Carrie Veronica," he said once he stopped them.

Carrie giggled. "I love you too, Liam Niklaus." She kissed him again. "Now that I have you back with me, I might never be letting you go again."

Liam returned her kiss. "Would you be willing to let me see the rest of my family at least? They were just as worried about me as you were."

"Of course I will. In fact, why don't we go to see them right now?" she suggested.

Liam nodded. "I'd like that. Then, we can announce our engagement."

**Later**…

They arrived at his family's mansion, only to be greeted by everyone wearing solemn faces and holding tissues, mostly the females in his family though. "What…what's going on?"

"Liam, son, your grandfather just passed away. Just a few minutes before you arrived," Caroline said, approaching him and Carrie.

Upon hearing that, Liam backed away from his mother, dropping to his knees and letting go of Carrie's hand. "No, no, I don't believe you!" Tears stung his eyes and fell down his cheek. "He can't be dead! He just can't be! I knew he was sick, but he promised that he'd hang on until I got home and…"

Caroline knelt down in front of her eldest son and hugged him. "I know, sweetheart. I know how close you were with him, and that you wish that you could've seen him one last time, but his heart gave out." She heard him sob and ran her fingers through his military crew cut. "Hush, baby, its okay, I know."

Carrie bit her lip, feeling somewhat guilty for having him come to see her first. Still, this wasn't the time or the place to express it, so she knelt down next to Liam and hugged him as well, letting him know that she was there.

Caroline let go of her son as soon as she saw Carrie hugging him and watched as her precious baby boy, now a man, sought comfort in the arms of his beloved, holding tightly to her as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks. Then her head tilted to the side when she noticed something sparkling on Carrie's hand and her eyes widened. "Liam Niklaus, do you have something to tell the family?" she demanded.

Carrie lifted Liam's head with her hands. "I think we should tell them. I know that isn't exactly the best time to be telling them, but since your mother saw the ring, now is as good a time as any."

Liam sniffed and nodded, looking at Caroline. "Mother…before I came home, I went to see Carrie, and I asked her to be my wife, which she accepted." He saw the look on her face. "I wanted to see her first, Mother. You can't fault me for that."

"No, I most certainly can't. Come here, my precious son," she said, opening her arms to him. He let go of Carrie and fell into her open arms as she hugged him gently.

Carrie watched as Liam and Caroline hugged, relieved that they weren't in trouble for getting engaged. Once the mother and son were done hugging, Caroline turned to Carrie and held her arms open for the girl who had been named after her. Carrie hugged Caroline and smiled. "Thank you for welcoming me into the family."

"You've been part of the family from the beginning," the older woman replied. "Now, you're making it official by marrying my son."

Carrie smiled then looked at the rest of her new fiancé's aunts and uncles, who all smiled back. Finn, who had a little gray but still a sprinkle of brown left in his hair, stepped forward next and hugged her gently, kissing the top of her head. "Welcome to the family, Carrie," he said softly, giving her another smile.

"You should really tell your parents about this, Carrie," Caroline said. "Damon and Elena will want to know that their eldest daughter is getting married."

"They already know. We, um, we told them before we left the lake house to come here. They're extremely happy for us," Carrie said as she rejoined Liam, who wrapped his arms around her.

Caroline nodded. "Good. The last thing I want is to get a phone call from them, wondering why you didn't tell them."

"The only one not too thrilled about it was Katie," Carrie said. "She's a little angry at me at the moment."

Katherine smirked. "That's because she's losing her big sister, the one who's protected her all these years," she told Carrie. "And she doesn't want to lose the friend she's always had."

Liam looked at his aunt. "Yes, but she's not losing her sister. If anything, she's gaining a brother. I tried to assure her of that, but she refused to budge."

"Give her time, Liam," Katherine said. "This is something new for her, but I know Katie, she'll adjust. She's a Salvatore and the Salvatore family is born survivors."

Liam nodded then pulled Carrie close. "I'm sure she'll come around eventually," he said.

Carrie nodded against him. "I hope so, because I'd hate for her to be mad at me forever. True, things aren't the same as they were before, but she's my little sister and I love her. I'll always love her."

Before Liam could reply, however, the telephone suddenly rang. Finn moved over to answer it with his wife standing beside him. Finn cleared his throat and said, "Mikaelson residence, Finn speaking; who may I ask is calling?"

"Papa, Momma needs your help," their grandson Cooper said in a panicked tone from the other end. "She was coming up the steps to help me with a bath when she suddenly fell. Momma is in pain, Papa!"

"We'll be there soon, Cooper. Just stay with her until we get there," Finn said before hanging up the phone, turning to his wife and framing her face in his hands. "I won't let anything happen to our precious daughter, Irish Rose; I solemnly swear."

Sage nodded. "I know you won't, Finn. Just do what you have to do." Finn nodded and brushed his lips over hers in a gentle but passionate kiss before turning to Elijah, nodding and the two brothers left to go check on Ruby and Cooper.

When they arrived at Ruby's house, they saw a very distraught Cooper standing over his mother, who was moaning as she clutched at her belly. Elijah looked at his brother. "Tend to Ruby. I'll keep Cooper occupied."

Finn nodded and gently helped his oldest daughter up, carrying her upstairs as Elijah took Cooper outside. "Uncle Elijah, is Momma going to be okay?" Cooper asked once they were out of earshot.

Elijah nodded at his great-nephew. "Don't you worry, Cooper. Your grandfather has everything under control. He won't let anything happen to her, I promise."

The young boy nodded and smiled sadly. In the house, Finn helped settle Ruby into her bed as she watched him in silent regard. "Father, I don't think Caleb is coming home," she said in a soft, sad tone.

Finn heard what she was saying. "I heard his letter said he was coming home this weekend?"

"I thought so too," his daughter replied. "That is, until I got a call from his commanding officer, saying that he was killed by an enemy bullet while helping to evacuate a village."

"Well, you'll just need to keep Cooper close and the baby that is being born in constant reminder that their father was a good man," Finn told her with a soft smile.

Ruby nodded. "I will. I loved Caleb so much, Father. Even when he irritated me, I found it hard not to love him. He adored Cooper, and I know he would've loved this baby as well."

"He has definitely proven to be a good husband. You two had a love like mine and your mother's," Finn said as he checked on the progress of the baby.

Ruby looked over at the bedside table and saw the picture of her and Caleb on their wedding, tears welling up in her eyes at how happy they were then. They were so much in love, and it hurt that he wasn't going to be here to see Cooper grow up, or see their baby being born.

She tried to think of happier days, like the day she first met him:

_**10 Years Earlier**…_

_With her red hair placed beneath a crown of flowers, Ruby let her bare feet barely touch the rocks beneath her feet as she hopped over the falls and trying to keep from falling._

_As she was crossing, she felt herself starting to slip and closed her eyes as she fell back. However, when she opened her eyes again, she saw that she was in the strong arms of a very handsome man, who was smiling at her. "Are you all right, madam?"_

_Ruby felt her heart hammer and gulped nervously as she replied, "I am now, thank you."_

_"A beautiful lady such as yourself would have been very hurt the way you almost slipped," the man told her._

_Ruby smiled at him. "I guess its good a gentleman like you came to my rescue." She cleared her throat. "My name is Ruby, Ruby Mikaelson."_

_Setting her upright gently, the man smiled again. "It is lovely to meet you, darling Ruby; I am Caleb, Caleb Steward," he said._

_Ruby smiled, liking his name already. "Caleb, now that is a very strong name. I like it." She curtsied. "Thank you for coming to my aid like that, Caleb. Tell me, do you make it a habit of rescuing girls like me in the woods?"_

_"No, not usually," Caleb said. "Though, when I saw you, I was instantly drawn to you. That was what really drove me to rescue you when you slipped like that. I didn't want the lady that drew me to her to fall and get hurt."_

_"Well, will you do the pretty lady a favor and walk her home? I don't wish for my parents to wonder where I've run off to this time," she said with a soft smile encasing her fair skin._

_Caleb nodded. "I would love to escort you home, my lady."_

_Biting down gently on her lower lip, she held her hand out for him to take, which he did, and they left the falls, going to where she led them._

_Sage was standing out on the porch of the mansion when she saw Ruby coming home, holding the hand of a boy. "Ruby, where have you been? I was out of my mind wondering where you got to."_

_"I was just exploring the falls, Mum," she replied. "I almost fell, though, but Caleb rescued me in time."_

_"Go on inside the house. Your father is waiting to hear if you're okay," Sage said. Ruby nodded, turning a smile of apology to Caleb before rushing up the steps and into the house. "You can go home, young man. I thank you for helping Ruby, but you're not welcome for her kind of interest."_

_Caleb was disappointed, but didn't show it as he said, "I understand, ma'am."_

_Sage nodded then turned to walk into the house, where she was immediately greeted by the verbal fighting match between father and daughter. Finn and Ruby seemed to be on opposite ends of things now that Ruby was almost in college, and Sage honestly missed those days where they had been close. "I'm not a little girl anymore, Father! Why the bloody hell can't you accept that?"_

_Finn ran a hand tiredly down his face and let out a heavy sigh, before he rose to his feet and limped over to her. He'd been injured when he went to go help a team of medics during the Cold War and Sage had worried that he'd not be the same, but he got through the worst of it with her by his side. "You'll always be the spunky little girl, the one who dreamed of marrying a man who reminded you of me. You said that you'd wanted a wedding like the one your mother and I had. What happened to that little girl?"_

_Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at him and said, "She's the same little girl, in here." Pressing a hand to her chest, she patted the place where her heart beat inside. "But, she's also a woman that wants your approval to be free who she wants to be."_

_Finn sighed. "I know you do, and I guess I'm a stubborn man who just can't seem to let go of things."_

_Moving into his arms, Ruby gently hugged her father as he held her close, smiling silently over at his wife. "I love you, Daddy, and I'll always be your little girl. But, your little girl isn't so little anymore, okay?" Ruby said in a whisper after pulling back from the hug._

_Finn nodded. "I know, sweetheart, and I love you too. I'll always love you, no matter what."_

_She kissed his cheek and he watched as she went up to her mother and hugged the older redhead before heading upstairs to her room. Sage and Finn both shook their heads when they heard the music playing softly from the radio their eldest enjoyed listening to. "You're a good father, Finnegan," Sage said as she approached him, wrapping her arms around him gently as her head rested below his chin._

_Finn smiled. "I've learned from my father, and I used the things he taught me to effectively raise my children."_

_"I never thought I'd become a mother, but I also learned from my father, especially after my mother died," she said softly._

_Finn pulled back to look at her. "Yes, but you're a wonderful mother, Sage. All of our children turned out well."_

_"Hmm, they sure did, and not just our daughters, but our sons as well. I only hope that they are as caring as the man I met back in 1941," she said with a smile as her hands gently patted his chest._

_Finn smiled. "With the guidance they received from us, I have no doubt that they will be."_

_She smiled back at him before taking his hand and gently tugging on it. Finn obligingly followed her to their downstairs bedroom, where he immediately claimed her lips with his in a gentle vigor, groaning when he felt her tongue stroking alongside his. Sage smiled against his lips. "I see that you haven't lost your touch. I was worried about that the whole time you were recovering from your injuries."_

_"You haven't seen anything yet, love," he said, quieting her with another kiss as his hands lifted to the top button of her blouse, and once all of the buttons were released, they pushed the blouse off and revealed her bare-from-the-waist-up body._

_Sage then attacked his shirt, practically ripping it open with her hands. He pushed it off then easily picked her up and carried her over to the bed, their mouths connecting in another kiss. Finn was almost lowering her to the bed when he felt his knee begin to spasm and he stopped, sitting down on the edge. Sage moved around him until she could gently push him back and straddled his hips. "Maybe you should rest for a bit and let me do the work, hmm?"_

_Finn nodded, even though he was a bit disappointed as he said, "As you wish, Irish Rose."_

_"I don't want you to overexert yourself, okay? I worry for you when we do this, especially if you can't carry me like you used to," she said quietly, leaving his lap to stand up and turn away. Finn followed after her, his lips moving over her shoulder in a whisper soft caress as he wrapped his arms around her from behind._

_"My beautiful Irish Rose, your worry makes me worry about you. I don't want you to have to be the one that has to do all the work," he said quietly as she felt his hands move up to cup her upper chest and she let her head fall back._

_Sage smiled sadly. "I know, and I appreciate the concern." She turned in his arms and kissed his chest. "I love you so much."_

_"I love you. I'll always love you. Even if we're old and gray, and the last ones left on this earth," he said as he emphasized each sentence with a soft kiss to each place he could reach on her face._

_Sage felt him kiss her face and smiled. "There's no one I would rather grow old with than you, Finn."_

_"Nor I, my love," he said, capturing her lips with his again and backing them toward the bed, where he sat down first and brought her to straddle his hips once again as his hands moved up her smooth, supple back, combing into her red curls, and then angling his head to further deepen the kiss._

_Sage moaned against his lips as the kiss deepened, feeling the passion between them rise, as well as the heat. Shifting them both, Finn lay half on top of her, with the foot beneath his injured knee resting flat on the floor, their lips still locked as his hands moved to the waist of her pantsuit, where he stroked her quivering stomach. "Finn, please don't…"_

_"Don't what, my love? Tell me."_

_Instead of answering with words, she brought her hand over his and moved it down and Finn immediately complied, his fingers seeking to span beneath her cotton underwear and slide gently into her moist folds, stroking them as her hips bucked up off the bed._

_Sage trembled at his touch and panted, letting out a scream of pleasure, earning her a smile from her husband. "I…I need you, Finn," she said hoarsely and he nodded, bringing her hands to the waist of his pants, watching the emotions change on her face._

_Sage fiddled with the button and zipper of his pants, feeling just how hard he was getting at the feel of her hand there. Apparently, he needed her as much as she needed him. She smiled softly when his lips moved gently over her face a second time, her eyes drifting closed as she finally got the button and zipper loosened, pushing everything down past his knees before wiggling out from beneath him to kneel before him and help remove it the rest of the way._

_Finn groaned as he felt what she was doing, letting out a small cry of passion, earning him a smile from Sage. Pulling her up, he brought her over him and she immediately straddled his hips once again, after which she removed her pants and impaled herself on his member._

_Sage gripped onto Finn's shoulders as she felt his throbbing member penetrate her core, panting heavily. It was just like it was back in 1941, only more intense and passionate. Age didn't seem to matter to either of them anymore; they still felt the same heat they did when they first encountered each other at the Grill._

**Author's Note:** So, I've been checking daily on the reviews for "Angel of Destiny", and if it hits 100, I will personally dedicate the next chapter by picking out a name to use within the contents, one of YOUR names. Please R&R, they make me happy!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Previously in "His Box of Letters", Ruby goes into labor and remembers the first time she met Caleb._**

**Chapter Two**

Suddenly, Ruby was shaken from her trip down memory lane by a massive wave of pain. "Father, I…think this is it!"

Finn, who had been lost in his own memories, shook them free then knelt down in front of her, using the latex-covered hand to check and nodding once. "It's time," he confirmed. Helping her, the aging physician shifted her toward the end of the bed and gently eased her legs open.

Once they were situated, Finn looked at his daughter. "All right, Ruby Red, I want you push as hard as you can, okay?" She nodded and bore down as much as she could, her chin nearly to the ball that she called her stomach, almost screaming out in pain. A few minutes later, her hard work paid off when she heard the first soft cries of her baby, followed by her father saying to her, "It's a girl!"

As soon as the baby was properly cleaned off and the umbilical cord had been cut, Finn placed his new granddaughter into her mother's waiting arms. "Hello, Lucinda Calliope Steward," she said in a cooing voice.

Finn smiled at his daughter and granddaughter. "She's beautiful, Ruby Red, just like her mother."

"I think she looks like both of her parents," Ruby said, aiming a smile up at her father.

Finn nodded. "She definitely does." Remembering that Elijah was keeping Cooper distracted, he added, "Should we bring the big brother in here to meet his new little sister?"

"Yes, please bring him in," Ruby said with a brief nod.

Finn nodded and went downstairs, where he found Elijah and Cooper. "Ruby had the baby. It's a girl that she named Lucinda Calliope Steward. And she wants to meet her big brother."

Cooper grinned then ran gently upstairs, into his parents' bedroom, where he climbed gently onto the bed until he was sitting beside his mother, who smiled at him and tucked the blanket away from covering the baby so he could officially see his baby sister. "She's tiny, Momma," he said in a marveled tone.

Ruby giggled. "She's a baby, sweetheart. Babies are tiny when they're born. You were tiny too when you were born."

"She looks like Daddy did, Momma," Cooper said, grinning up at his mom.

Ruby smiled. "She does, doesn't she?"

**A Few Weeks Later**…

Ruby was walking Lucinda, whom she had shortened to Lucy, around the mansion she and Caleb had gotten from her grandfather, bless his soul, as a wedding gift when she suddenly bumped into a solid wall, but it was more than just a wall, it was a chest. Her green eyes shifted up and she gasped when she saw… "Caleb? But…but I thought you were…!"

Before she can faint dead away into his arms, he catches her and baby Lucy easily then carries both of them into the house.

"I'm sorry that you thought I was dead," he replied as he set her on the couch. "But, I actually survived that bullet. Don't know how, but I did, and I knew I had to come home to you and the children."

Gently, he eased his infant daughter out of her mother's arms then began to rock her quietly after spotting the rocking chair in the corner of the living room. Ruby opened her eyes and saw him cradling Lucy and smiled at him. He seemed to really be bonding with her, even though he just met her moments ago.

**Later**…

The shock of seeing Caleb didn't stop her from getting her parents to agree to watch Cooper and Lucy, before she returns home and immediately launches herself into her once thought to be dead husband's arms, kissing him passionately. Caleb returned her kisses, the soft sounds escaping her spurning him on into gently grasping her thighs in his hands, lifting them until she wrapped them around his uniformed waist.

Caleb smiled against her lips. "I love you, Ruby Mikaelson Steward, with all my heart."

"I love you too, Caleb Steward," she said in response. "Now, be a good husband and make love to me…your beautiful wife demands it."

Caleb smiled again and without a verbal reply, he kissed her hotly and pushed her against the wall, running his hands up and down her body, bringing them back up to undo the buttons of her dress.

Ruby returned the favor, her hands quickly attacking the buttons of his uniform and then his shirt beneath it, ripping the shirt open to reveal the same wide, muscled chest she still loved, moving her lips from his to kiss down his neck and to the pectorals.

Caleb let out a groan. "Ruby, please don't tease."

Ruby smiled against his chest. "Oh, I have no intention of teasing you. I'm going to give you everything. Just like I did the first time we were like this."

"Do you remember that I had to help you sneak out of your bedroom, since your parents were right down the hall?" he said with a smirk as he kissed the top of her head.

Ruby laughed. "Yes, I do. I tried not to make any noise because Father would've been so mad at both of us. He also wouldn't have let you see me again."

"Of course, he finally gave his approval after meeting me in person. Your mother, I'll admit, was harder to win over," he said.

"Yes, my mother was pretty stubborn," Ruby said. "Thankfully, my father had ways to get her to change her mind."

Her husband smiled then swept her into his arms and carried her into their downstairs bedroom, where he gently laid her on the bed and followed her onto it, his mouth immediately reconnecting with hers as their arms found their way around each others' bodies. Ruby moved her hands down to the belt of his pants, loosening it before going for the button and zipper, pushing them down once she had gotten them both undone.

"Do you know how beautiful you are when you do this?" he asked softly as he watched her.

Ruby giggled. "No, but I know you're going to show me how beautiful I am."

"Damn right I am," he said as he helped her remove the rest of his clothes and gently removed hers before he used tender hands to spread her thighs and thrusting deep.

Ruby let out a pleasurable moan as she gyrated her hips in time with his thrusts, throwing her head back and screaming out so loud she was afraid her vocal chords would shatter.

**Two Hours Later – Meanwhile**…

"I was thinking that we could get married the same but not too much the same ceremony that my parents were married in," Liam suggested to Carrie as she lay nestled against his clothed chest.

Carrie smiled. "That's a great idea."

"I knew you'd agree," Liam said. "I thought we'd keep with tradition."

"I also thought I could ask Nichole Garrison and my sisters to stand up as witnesses," she said.

Liam nodded. "I like that. And I'm sure that your father will want to give you away."

"Oh, yes, he would," Carrie said. "He's wanted to do that since the day I was born."

"Do you remember the first time our parents introduced us?" Liam asked her with a smile.

Carrie smiled. "My goodness, it seems like so long ago, but yes, I remember. You were so adorable with your curly hair and I couldn't resist your eyes."

_**16 Years Earlier**…_

_"Momma, why do I have to wear a pretty dress? Why can't I wear regular pants?" Carrie whined to Elena as her mother fixed the bows in her older daughter's hair._

_"Because, darling, we've been invited to a fancy party at the Mikaelson mansion tonight," her mother replied. "Little ladies wear dresses to things like that. You don't want to disappoint everyone by not looking your best, do you?"_

_Carrie heaved a dramatic sigh. "I suppose not. When we get there, who will I play with, Momma? There are children there older than me, even Maria & Colin," she said, referring to her cousins, also part of the growing Mikaelson clan._

_Elena mused on that a moment before saying, "Klaus and Caroline have a little boy your age named Liam. Maybe you can play with him."_

_Carrie made a face at that. "Yuck! Why would I want to play with him? Boys are gross."_

_"You'll change your mind once you meet Liam," Elena said. "He's definitely different than Damian, if it makes you feel better."_

_Her oldest daughter made another face before nodding her head. "If you think so, Momma," she said before hugging Elena around her neck._

_Elena smiled and returned her hug. "I love you, Carrie, you have to know that."_

_"I know," she replied. "I love you too, Momma."_

_Elena pulled back after a few minutes then said, "Come on, let's finished getting ready before we're late."_

_Her daughter nodded and took her mom's hand as they went back over to where Elena had Carrie's younger sisters on the bed and Carrie joined them._

_**Elsewhere**…_

_Liam stuck his tongue out at his reflection. Although he didn't mind the parties the Mikaelson family threw, there was something about this one that he didn't like. "What's with the face, mate?" he heard his Uncle Finn ask as the eldest sibling of the Mikaelsons approached him, kneeling down to his height._

_"Mummy made me wear this silly tuxedo and tie, but I want to wear my regular clothes," Liam replied to his uncle. He liked both of his aunts and each of his uncles, but he liked Finn the best because his father's oldest brother was quiet, reserved. Maybe that was why he'd married Liam's Aunt Sage, because she was good at drawing people out of their hidden shells._

_Finn laughed at his nephew's reply. "I know how you feel, Liam. Your Auntie Sage made me wear this tuxedo and tie too." He smiled. "Tell you what, though, I'll wear mine if you wear yours."_

_"Okay! Thanks, Uncle Finn," Liam said, giving his uncle a quick hug before turning to find Sage in the doorway, saying excitedly, "Hi, Aunt Sage!"_

_"Hi, sweetie," she said, tilting her head and watching as he ran past her, probably going to find his parents._

_"He's a bundle of energy, that boy," Finn said as he moved over to his expectant wife, leaning down to kiss her belly in a soft, gentle manner before giving her lips the same gesture._

_Down the hall, Klaus smiled as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Caroline smiled as well and hugged him as gently as her belly would allow her to, and kissed him. "You look amazing, Nik."_

_"Thank you, love," he replied. "You look beautiful."_

_"I'm fat. I'm as big as a whale," she whined back, pouting a little to add effect._

_Klaus turned her to look at him. "I will not have you saying such things about yourself, Caroline. You are absolutely beautiful, and this child is the luckiest child in the world to have you for its mother." He knelt before her and kissed her belly. "I love you, both of you."_

_"You're so sweet, Nik," she told him with a soft smile as her fingers moved gently over his head and down to his neck so that she didn't mess up his hair._

_Klaus looked up at her with a smile. "All part of being a good husband, love."_

_"How would you feel about naming one of the babies after your mom? You know, as a middle name?" Caroline suggested._

_Klaus looked at her. "What do you mean, one of the babies? Caroline, are you trying to say that you're having twins?"_

_"Yes, I am."_

_Klaus grinned up at her. "This is the best news I've heard all day!" he exclaimed quietly, standing up and whirling her gently around in a circle._

_Caroline giggled as he gently twirled her. Liam came in at that moment and saw what was going on, raising a curious eyebrow. "What's going on? Why were you laughing?"_

_Klaus gently put his wife down and went over to his son. "You, Anastasia, and Lillian are going to have two new siblings joining us soon. Your mother is having twins."_

_"We are, really and truly?" Anastasia asked excitedly._

_Caroline smiled at her daughter. "It's true, sweetheart, soon there will be two babies joining us."_

_**Later**…_

_Elena and Damon arrived with Carrie and Damian, and Caroline greeted them at the door with Lillian, bundled adorably in the dress Caroline had made._

_Elena smiled at the blonde. "Hey, Caroline, I hope we're not too early."_

_Caroline shook her head and replied, "No, you're right on time." She stepped back to open the door further. "Come on in."_

_"Thanks for inviting us over, even though we're not family," Damon told her as he watched Carrie immediately make a trail toward Maria, who was playing on the floor of the living room._

_"You're Katherine's family, and you're my best friends, and I didn't want to exclude you," Caroline said. "Either way, you're always welcome here."_

_"Thanks, Care," Elena said as she took Lillian from the blonde and held the little girl close._

_Caroline smiled as Elena hugged Lillian and escorted them into the mansion so that they could mingle with the others. Of course, when Klaus brought Liam into the living room, Damon joined them and waved Carrie over, and she did so with reluctance. "Carrie, this is Liam, your Aunt Caroline and Uncle Niklaus' son," he said, introducing them._

_"Liam, this is Carrie, who is Aunt Elena's and Uncle Damon's daughter," Klaus said, mimicking Damon._

_Liam stared at Carrie, as though sizing her up. Carrie did the same with Liam. Both children didn't know what to make of each other, neither of them willing to make the first move._

_Finally, Liam reluctantly held out his hand for Carrie to shake and she did the same. Both sets of parents smiled as they watched their children, with their pregnant mothers both standing nearby. Liam smiled at Carrie. "It's nice to meet you, Carrie."_

_Carrie returned his smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Liam."_

_"Do you want to see my train set?" Liam asked._

_"Yes! I like trains," Carrie replied with a big grin, one that was similar to Damon's. Turning her blue eyes to her father as he still stood in a crouched position behind her, she asked him, "May I go play with Liam for a bit, Daddy?"_

_"If your mother doesn't mind," Damon said, turning to look at Elena for confirmation. She nodded that it was okay and waved her encouragement to Carrie._

_Once she got the wave of encouragement from her mother, Carrie took Liam's hand and they took off toward the play room, after which Damon and Klaus got up from their crouched positions, watching as the children ran off._

**Present Day**…

"That was a fun time we had that night playing with your train set; wasn't it?" Carrie asked with a smile up at her fiancé.

Liam nodded. "Yes, it certainly was." He kissed her softly. "And you looked absolutely beautiful that night."

"You looked very dapper in your little tuxedo as well," she said, returning his kiss. Then she turned serious, sitting up to turn away. Liam followed her, sitting up behind her and moving her hair to settle over one shoulder while he rested his chin on her other shoulder.

"What's on your mind, my love?" he asked softly.

Carrie sighed. "It's this stupid war. It seems that our entire lives revolved around it, just like our parents before us."

"I don't like it any more than you do," he replied. "While I was in Vietnam, I wished they had chosen someone else to go instead of me. I saw my fellow soldiers die around me every day and the only thing that kept me sane was me knowing that you were waiting for me."

"Your letters were something I looked forward to, every single day, no matter if they came or not. I would read the other ones over and over again," she said softly.

Liam nodded. "I enjoyed reading yours too. They were a comfort to me."

"Which one was your favorite?" she asked him as she picked up his hand then stroked her fingers over his inner palm.

Liam smiled. "My goodness, how can I pick just one? I liked them all. Though, I think my most favorite one was the one where you described a dream you had about me. I don't remember it word for word, but I believe we were on an island in the middle of nowhere, standing by the shore and watching the waves as they collided with the beach."

"That was the one where I imagined you picking me up and carrying me into the house while I would begin to unbutton your shirt, which you'd left open at the collar before pushing it off of you once you set me down on my feet as soon as we were in the house," she told him.

Liam smiled. "Ah, yes, now I remember. I had to make sure I was alone before I read it, even though there were guys in my unit who had girlfriends and wives at home."

She smirked then turned until she could push him gently onto the covers of her bed. "Why don't we live out that fantasy then?" she said in a soft murmur against his lips.

Liam kissed her. "I thought you'd never ask, love. I've missed you so much, and I'm going to make up for every day I was gone."

Carrie returned his kiss. "Yes, you are, Liam Niklaus, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

He smiled at her then watched as she began to unbutton his shirt, but he stopped her halfway down. "Carrie love, are you sure that this is a good idea right now? I mean, what if your parents walk in?"

Carrie looked toward the door and then back at him. "They're not going to walk in on us. They've gone to see Uncle Stefan and Aunt Rebekah. They won't be back for hours. We have the whole place to ourselves."

"What about your siblings?" Liam was still hesitant about being with her intimately because he didn't want any interruptions.

Carrie rolled her eyes and pulled away from him. "Damn you, Liam, do you want to be with me or not?"

"You know I do, Carrie, but I don't want anyone to walk in on us." To further prove his point, Liam got up from the bed then went over and closed and locked the door before walking back over to where she sat on the bed. Picking her up in his arms, Liam sat down with her in his lap then brought her hands to the last button she'd been about to unbutton and smiled as she finished her job.

After she finished unbuttoning his shirt, Carrie threw it on the floor. Liam then kissed her, moving his hands up and down her body, growling playfully against her lips as she returned his kiss. As the kiss deepened, he made short work of removing her dress, throwing to the floor by his discarded shirt.

She let her head fall back and intentionally breaking off their kisses and Liam took full advantage, his mouth marking a trail down her cheek and jaw and down into her neck, where he used open-mouthed kisses to travel down to her breastbone. Carrie moaned as she felt what he was doing and let out a scream of pleasure. "That's it, my love; scream for me," he said in a soft murmur against the olive skin of her neck.

"Liam, please don't tease me like that; you know I don't like it," she said in a whimpered tone.

Liam gave her a smirk that mirrored his father's. "Oh, I have no intention of teasing you, my angel. You're going to get everything from me."

**Meanwhile**…

"Zoë Mikaelson, put that down!" Serena Henderson Mikaelson demanded softly of her oldest child before turning to glare at her husband as he sat with their son, snickering to himself. Cooper Jr., their son, or C.J., as he was well known, was also snickering in the same manner as his father but stopped when his mother looked over.

Cooper smiled at his wife. "Come on, Rena, don't be like that. You don't have to be strict all the time."

"You've been gone, Cooper. I _had_ to be strict because I had to be both parents," she told him with a frown.

"I know, love, and I'm sorry for leaving you with such a large task," Cooper said. "If I didn't go, I would've been arrested for draft dodging."

Leaning over, Serena kissed him softly on the forehead then picked up Zoë before taking her upstairs to get a bath ready. Cooper smiled as he watched her leave, looking at C.J. "You have a good mother, my son. She loves you and your sister very much."

C.J. grinned at his father, the gesture almost matching the one of his grandmother, Sage's smile. "I know she does, Papa. Can we go and play with the train set now?"

Cooper nodded at his son's question. "Sure we can, buddy." C.J. smiled and he went toward the play room, his father following behind him.

Upstairs, Serena was trying to get her daughter into the large bathtub, but Zoë was having none of it, scampering away every time Serena tried to make a grab for her. Serena ran after Zoë, finding her in her room and bringing her back into the bathroom. "Come on, Zoë, its just water. It's not going to hurt you."

"Okay, Momma," her daughter said as she allowed Serena to get her out of her clothes and place her into the warm bath water.

Serena placed the girl into the tub. "Now, let's get you washed and ready for bed." Zoë giggled as she began to play with the bubbles, picking some up and placing them on her mother's blonde hair. "You silly girl, that's not what bubbles are for!"

Zoë giggled again. "I love bubbles, Momma."

"Oh you do, huh?" Serena grinned as she picked up her own bubbles then placed them on her daughter's nose.

Zoë giggled louder as she felt the bubbles on her nose. "What's going on in here?" she heard her father ask from the doorway.

"We're playing with bubbles, Daddy; join us!" Zoë said excitedly.

Cooper smiled. "You're playing with bubbles? I love bubbles. When I was your age, your grandmother gave me bubble baths all the time. I didn't want to leave the tub."

His daughter laughed as he knelt down beside her mother then splashed both of his favorite girls. Serena laughed out loud as Cooper splashed her and Zoë. She definitely missed having him here and was grateful that he was back at home, where he belonged.

**Author's Note:** And I am home where I belong, writing all of these collaborations with Erin, who is a wonderful writer. ENJOY!


	3. Chapter 3

**_Previously in "His Box of Letters", Ruby delivers a baby girl and reunites with Caleb, while her brother Cooper and his wife play with their daughter Zoë._**

**Chapter Three**

Nichole Garrison squealed as she squirmed in her fiancé T.J. Lockwood's arms while they rode the horses at his family's ranch home. T.J. smiled. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh, yes," Nichole said. "I've always loved riding."

Leaning closer, T.J. let his breath whisper along the skin of her ear while he said softly, "I meant, torturing me? Do you enjoy doing that?"

"That would depend, Mr. Lockwood," she whispered back. "Do you enjoy the torture of desiring me so badly?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't, so yes, I do," T.J. said. "You're quite the expert of torturing your lover, Miss Garrison."

"Good, because you'll be rewarded later," she said as she laid her head on his shoulder while they continued to ride.

T.J. smiled. "I definitely look forward to being rewarded, my love."

"How would you like your reward, Monsieur Lockwood?" she asked softly.

T.J. thought about it a moment and then looked down at her. "Well, you're the torture expert, Nichole, you can give me my reward in any way you want, and I'll gladly take it."

"Okay," she said.

After the ride was over, they went back into the house, where they headed straight to the bedroom so that T.J. could get his reward. Nichole pushed him onto the bed then stood with her legs standing between his, reaching up with both hands to remove the clip that her hair was holding in a bun, and then shaking it out until it was loose around her shoulders. T.J. gulped what was left of his courage as he watched her lower her hands back down, tossing the clip toward the dresser that they now shared before the moved to the top button of her shirt. "No, let me," he said in a shaky voice.

She nodded and lowered her hands back down to her sides. T.J. unbuttoned his shirt that she wore and, once he had gotten it undone, he threw it onto the floor. Nichole then grabbed his hands and guided them toward the buttons on her riding jeans, undoing them with both his hands and hers. She let a moan escape from her mouth as this continued, enjoying what they were doing.

Once he pushed the skin-tight jeans down her legs, he let out a soft sound of frustration when T.J. saw that she still had her riding boots on.

Nichole heard his sound of frustration and then realized why: her boots were on. "Oops, silly me…I should've taken them off. But, that doesn't mean I can't remedy that situation." Reaching down, she pulled her boots off, and threw them, as well as her jeans, over by his discarded shirt.

Once they were both gone, T.J. took her back into his arms then shifted until they lay on their sides, facing each other. T.J. played with a few strands of her hair, kissing her softly. "I love you, Nichole."

"I love you too, Tyler Lockwood Jr.," she replied with a smile.

T.J. smiled and then reached forward, opened the drawer of the nightstand, holding it in front of her. "Nichole Philadelphia Garrison, I have loved you all my life, it seems and I come to you as a man to ask you this important question." He opened the box to reveal a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

Looking from the ring to him and back again, she then began to nod quickly, tears falling down her cheeks. "Yes. Yes, a thousand times yes," she said excitedly.

T.J. smiled and placed the ring on her finger, kissing it and then kissed her lips. "You just made me the happiest man in the world, Nichole, even more than when we met."

"That day was special too," she told him with a smile.

_**16 Years Earlier**…_

_"Momma, will Dr. Meghan's family be nice to us today?" Nichole asked Amanda as the two of them and Brady walked up to the Lockwood's mansion._

_"I think so, sweetie," Amanda said. "Why do you think they wouldn't be nice to us?"_

_"Because, T.J. Lockwood picked on me at school today and he even pushed me down," Nichole replied._

_Amanda looked at her daughter. "He did? Did anyone see him push you?"_

_Nichole nodded. "Uh huh, the teacher on the playground saw him and when I told her what he did, he tried to deny it."_

_Amanda wanted to get upset but before she could, her husband knocked on the front door to their friend's mansion. Tyler opened the door and smiled at Amanda, Brady, and Nichole. "Hey, you three, you're right on schedule; Meghan is putting the food on the table."_

_"That's great, Tyler, because I'm definitely looking forward to Meghan's cooking," Brady said. "We even left our place an hour early so that we can get here in time for dinner."_

_"Are you saying that my cooking is horrible, Brady Garrison?" Amanda demanded as she glared at her husband._

_Brady laughed at her reaction. "No, Mandy, I wasn't saying that your cooking was horrible. You're a great cook. I was just saying that Meghan is just as good a cook as you."_

_"Now you're switching stories, Brady. That's not nice," she said as she stomped off into the house ahead of him and Nichole._

_Tyler looked at Brady after Amanda walked into the house. "Looks like you put your foot in your mouth."_

_"Yeah, I think I did," he replied. "And I don't like how it tastes."_

_Meanwhile, Amanda found Meghan in the kitchen and gave her friend a pointed look until the brunette looked over at her. "Yes, Amanda, what is it?"_

_"I would like to know if you reprimanded your son for his behavior at school the other day," Amanda said._

_"What behavior?" Meghan asked._

_"He bullied Nichole at school," Amanda said. "He picked on her and pushed her down. What's worse, he denied it when she told the teacher what she was doing."_

_"He did what?" Meghan demanded. "TYLER BRENDAN FELL-LOCKWOOD JR., GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"_

_Her husband came in with Brady just then and she gave Tyler a glare. "Why are you glaring at me for? I haven't done anything."_

_"No, you're teaching our son things, obviously. Otherwise, he wouldn't have picked on Nichole at school or pushed her down then denied it when asked about it," she told him._

_Tyler was about to defend himself when T.J. came in. "Yes, Momma?"_

_"Aunt Amanda told me you picked on Nichole at school and then denied it," his mother replied. "You know that bullying people isn't nice. Tell me the truth, young man, why did you pick on Nichole? She never did anything to deserve it."_

_"I'm sorry, Momma," T.J. said in a soft tone._

_"Go apologize to Nichole," Meghan said. "She's obviously upset and if you say you're sorry, she'll forgive you for your foolishness."_

_"Yes, Momma," he said dutifully before turning and leaving the kitchen to go find Nichole to apologize to her. After he was gone, Meghan looked once at her husband then went and left the room as well, heading upstairs._

_Tyler glanced at Brady and Amanda, giving them both an apologetic smile before going after his wife, finding her in their room. "Tyler, I love you, but you know how I feel about bullying," Meghan said. "I want our son to learn good habits, not bad ones."_

_"I never said anything about bullying to him. Something either of them said must have set them off," he said softly as he joined her on the bed, taking her hand gently in his own and linking their fingers together._

_"I still don't like what happened, Tyler," Meghan said. "The Garrisons are our good friends and I'd hate to lose them because of something our son did."_

_Before he could respond, they heard a crash followed by the screaming of their oldest son from downstairs. They left their bedroom and quickly ran down, into the living room where the screaming had come from, finding T.J. on the floor and clutching his cheek, which was bleeding underneath his hand. "What on earth happened?" Tyler asked._

_Amanda, who was hugging a sobbing Nichole, looked up at him. "I don't know. One minute, T.J. was apologizing to Nichole, and the next minute, they started fighting. Brady tore them apart before it got worse."_

_"Tyler Brendan Fell-Lockwood Jr., we talked about this," Meghan told him with a stern look._

_T.J. looked at his mother. "All I did was start apologizing to her, like you told me to. Then, she starts scratching me."_

_"Nichole Philadelphia Garrison, that wasn't very nice. You apologize to T.J.," Amanda said while aiming the same stern look that Meghan wore at her daughter._

_Nichole reluctantly went over to T.J., giving him a sad smile. "I'm sorry I scratched you, T.J."_

_"Your apology is accepted," he said with a soft smile._

**Present Day**…

"Our mothers were so upset with us that day," Nichole said as she nuzzled her fiancé's cheek later as they lay in each others' arms.

"They certainly were," he replied. "I felt really bad for teasing you at school. Though, that was because I liked you and I didn't want the other boys to know that I did."

"Because you didn't want them to tease you for liking the daughter of your parents' longtime friends?" she asked with a giggle.

"Exactly," T.J. said. "I hated to do what I did, but those guys would have been relentless with their teasing."

"For what it's worth, the girls at school teased me as well," she said.

"We sure showed them, didn't we?" T.J. said. "We're going to be married."

"Hmm, we sure are," she said with a smile as her nose gently nuzzled his cheek. Nichole then got an idea. "You know what…I think we should invite them to the wedding. Really make them eat their hearts out."

"I like that. I'll see if I can go look up some of their addresses later," her fiancé said with a big smile.

Nichole nodded. "That sounds good to me."

**Meanwhile**…

"Andrea, are you sure that you want to go through with this?" April asked her oldest daughter.

Andrea nodded. "I'm sure, Mom." Andrea was expecting the baby of her fiancé, Dante Salvatore, and had just put him to rest in the cemetery of Mystic Falls.

April hugged Andrea to her. "Dante loved you so much, Andrea, and I know that he would've loved this baby."

"I know that too, Momma," she replied. "I'm just scared, you know? We were going to be married and have a family together, and this stupid war had to go and take him away from me, like World War II nearly took Daddy from you."

"Nearly being the operative word," April said with a soft sympathetic smile.

"But, unlike Daddy, Dante is never coming back."

"You'll always have his memory to pass on to your child or children, though," April reminded her as she hugged Andrea again.

Andrea nodded. "I know. I even have you and Daddy to help me, as well as Grandma and Grandpa, and Gavin and Fiona, Grandma Kelly and Granddad Reid and even Dante's parents. You have no idea just how much I appreciate you being here for me, especially during this difficult time."

"We will always be here for you, sweetheart," April said as she took her oldest daughter's hand.

Andrea smiled. "Good, because I'm going to need all the family I can get." Her smile matched her mother's as April squeezed her hand in reassurance. After a few minutes of silence, Andrea looked at her mother. "Can we go home now, Mom?"

"Of course, sweetheart," April said, putting her arm through Andrea's before they left the cemetery together, getting into the Oldsmobile that April had driven them in.

As they drove away from the cemetery, Andrea blew a kiss out the window. "Good-bye, Dante. I will always love you."

After they were gone, a somewhat disfigured person stepped out from behind a tree, most of his upper part of his body covered in bandages. He had seen his beloved, with her beautifully pregnant body, mourning a loss that wasn't even a loss. Dante sighed. "I'm not gone, Andrea. I'm here and you won't be sad for long because I am going to reunite us."

Once he said that, Dante headed off to his childhood home, the boardinghouse and knocked gently on the door. When it finally opened, he was surprised to see his little sister Alexis answering the door. "D…Dante?" she asked and then she fainted.

Dante gently picked his sister's unconscious body off the floor and laid it on the couch. No sooner did he do this than he saw his mother, Rebekah approach him, having heard Alexis fall. "Dante, is that you? But, that's impossible. We buried you."

"Mum, please give me a chance to explain," he said. He took at step closer to her but she took a step back.

Rebekah shook her head. "No, you're supposed to be dead. I was at your funeral. I saw them lower your casket into the ground." Stepping closer to her, Dante gently grasped her arms. Rebekah began to cry when she felt him do that and reached out to pull him into a fierce embrace, sobbing, "Oh, my precious little boy, I thought I lost you!"

Dante ran a hand through his mother's hair. "I know, Mum, and I am so, so, sorry. I just don't know how I'm going to explain this to everyone. I scared poor Alexis."

Rebekah glanced over at her oldest daughter just waking up and she smiled then went over to sit down beside her. "Mum, what happened?"

"You fainted, darling," Rebekah replied.

Alexis rubbed her head before looking at Dante. "Are you really alive?"

"Yes, little sister, I am," he replied. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I'm just glad that you're home now," she said as she moved over to tackle-hug him gently.

Dante smiled sadly. "I'm glad I'm home too."

Alexis stepped back. "Does Andrea know you're back?"

"No, she doesn't," Dante said. "She thinks I'm dead. How am I going to tell her I'm back without scaring her?"

"Why don't you leave it to me?" she said with the same mysterious smirk that their mother sometimes wore when she was planning something.

Dante nodded. "Okay, Alexis, I'll let you handle this. Andrea already considers you her sister, so she'll definitely listen to you." His eyes widened. "Liam doesn't know about this, and neither does Carrie or the rest of the family."

"Leave that to me," Rebekah said. "We're having an engagement party for Liam and Carrie tomorrow night and your Aunt Elena and I are on decoration duty. So, I'll tell her and have her promise not to say anything until Andrea sees you."

**The Next Evening**…

"You're joking, right?" Elena asked Rebekah as they moved around the boardinghouse, putting up decorations to celebrate their niece & nephew's engagement.

"I'm serious, Elena," Rebekah said. "Dante is alive. The only ones that know are me and Alexis."

"What about Elizabetta or Stefan and Vincent and Lena? They should know about this. I mean, this is big news."

"Elena, will you please keep this even from Damon? We can't let anyone know that your nephew is home, because he wants this to be as a surprise to his own bride-to-be," Rebekah said.

Elena bit her lip, hesitating to even agree to it. She and Damon had always been upfront with each other, and she felt a little guilty having to keep something from him now. However, if this was what Dante wanted, then she didn't have much of a choice. "All right, Rebekah, if this is what Dante wants, then I won't say anything to Damon."

"Thank you, Elena," her sister in law replied. "I know that it's not going to be easy, since you and Damon have a no-secrets policy between you two, but it's only this once."

The brunette nodded again before smiling a little. "Tonight is about Carrie and Liam and their happiness. We shall not dwell on the surprises until everyone is ready," she said.

Rebekah nodded. "You're absolutely right. Liam and Carrie are the most important ones this evening. Everything else can wait."

**Author's Note:** And y'all can wait for the surprise to come in the next chapter, because I am certain that Erin will whip up a magical start to our next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

**_Previously in "His Box of Letters", T.J. and Nichole remember when they first met, and Dante returns._**

**Chapter Four**

The engagement party seemed to be in full swing and everyone was having a great time. Everyone, that is, except Andrea. She had been reluctant to come, but Alexis had persuaded her, telling her that it would make her feel better if she went out. She went into the kitchen to take a breather when she suddenly felt a breeze go by her and she quickly twirled around, ready to confront whoever had done it, but there was no one there.

Andrea raised an eyebrow at that. Where did that strange breeze come from? It wasn't there before. She didn't want to feel it again but as she was leaving the kitchen, a gentle hand moved to settle on her arm and she whirled around, screaming in fright at the person with their face half-bandaged but then she looked into the person's eyes. "Dante…is that you?" she whispered.

Dante smiled at her. "Yes, Andrea, it's me."

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're actually here," she replied. "But, if you're here, who did we bury in what was supposed to be your grave?"

"One of the guys that was in my unit," Dante replied as he pulled her close, his fingers gently stroking her dark hair despite the bandages on his hands.

Andrea smiled. "I'm just so happy that you're home. Our baby will know its father." She stepped back. "Who else knows you're here?"

"No one, just my mother and Alexis. I didn't want anyone else to know until I saw you."

She nodded then tugged him out of the kitchen but he stopped her by pulling her back, his head lowering to hers. Andrea didn't resist him, pulling him close as her arms wrapped around his neck, their mouths meeting immediately in a soft kiss that quickly turned passionate.

Dante moaned happily against her lips as the kiss deepened. He had dreamed of reuniting with her like this while he was in Vietnam. Of course, he didn't have bandages on him in said dreams. But, that didn't matter. What mattered was the moment they were having.

Andrea eventually pulled back, smiling against his lips. "We better get out there before anyone comes to worry about me," she whispered.

Dante nodded. "Good idea. I also want to see Carrie again, and to congratulate her and Liam on their engagement. I knew that one day, they'd end up together." He kissed her again. "I also knew that we'd end up together as well."

"Hmm, me too," she said then tugged on his hand again, pulling him out of the kitchen and toward the living room, where the rest of their friends and families were gathered.

Carrie and Liam were sitting together on the sofa when Carrie noticed their cousin coming in. However, instead of questioning it, she got up and went over to him, hugging him gently. "Oh, Dante, I was wondering when you were coming back. Liam told me that you two had gotten separated during a raid."

He hugged her back gently, smiling when he pulled back. "I'm home now, that's all that matters. I'm home with my family, my bride-to-be and my unborn child," he said, turning to smile at Andrea as she came over to nestle against his side.

Liam followed Carrie over to where Dante and Andrea were. "Glad to see you back, mate. This makes our happy occasion even happier."

"We'll be happy to share," Carrie said in agreement as she nestled back against Liam's chest.

Andrea smiled. "I'd like that. This could be our happy occasion as well as yours."

Carrie smiled then let her hand move to reach out gently, Andrea's hand immediately sliding into it as the two dark-haired girls squeezed each others' hands. Liam then heard music playing and looked at Carrie. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Carrie smiled. "Indeed you may, sir."

"May I also have this dance?" Dante asked Andrea, who grinned big and nodded. The two couples danced to the slow, steady bear of the music, each man holding their respective partners close, savoring the moment.

"I love you, Carrie Veronica," Liam whispered in Carrie's ear as he held her close.

"I love you too, Liam Niklaus," she whispered back.

Dante smiled down at Andrea. "I love you, Andrea."

Andrea smiled. "I love you too, Dante."

None of the exchanges of 'I love you' didn't go unnoticed by their parents but Caroline & Klaus, Damon & Elena, Stefan & Rebekah and Matt & April didn't mind; they were just as much in love as their children were, as the adults all exchanged soft, brief kisses. After the dancing was done, Damon grabbed a microphone and said, "Friends, family, today is a very special occasion because not only is my little girl marrying the man she loves, but my nephew, whom we thought was lost, has returned and has reunited with the woman he loves."

Dante lifted his glass to Liam and Carrie first and then Liam did the same for Dante and Andrea. "Here, here," the room echoed.

Damon smiled and looked toward Carrie. "Carrie, sweetheart, you deserve all the happiness life has to offer. You're a wonderful daughter and your mother and I are proud of you. As hard as it is to let go, I knew that this day would come eventually. Now that it has, there's nothing I can really say except that Liam is a fine young man and you two will be happy together."

Matt spoke up next, his blue eyes going toward Andrea and gave his oldest daughter a smile. "Andrea Grace, you've made your mother and me proud from day one," he said, feeling his throat close unexpectedly with emotion but he cleared it and continued on. "What I'm trying to say is that I wish you and Dante many happy years to come, because you have beyond earned our blessing…you've got everyone's blessing."

Carrie and Andrea smiled as they listened to their fathers give their speeches, tears welling up in their eyes and flowing down their cheeks. They turned to each other and hugged quickly, comforting each other.

Liam and Dante watched them hug before hugging them a few minutes later. Dante also provided special attention to his bride-to-be when he knelt down in front of her and kissed the baby bump. Andrea sniffled a little more, but smiled at Dante anyway. Liam watched them and looked at Carrie. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

She wore a dark blue knee-length short sleeve dress and carried a long shoulder strap purse, but had pushed the strap on the inside of the purse so that it looked more like a clutch bag. Carrie smiled at her husband-to-be and leaned to brush her lips over his. "Not today you haven't, but there are still many moments like these that you will get a chance to."

Liam smiled, returning her kiss. "I look forward to those."

Carrie returned his smile and said, "Me too."

**Across the Room**…

Savannah Gilbert was talking to her cousin Katherine and cousin-in-law Elijah when she was suddenly tugged away from them. She glanced to see that it was Xavier pulling her away and she glared at him before extracting her hand from his. "Excuse me, but what gives you the right to pull me away from a conversation that I was having?" she demanded.

"I know I was being rude," he replied. "I wanted to talk to you."

Turning to Katherine and Elijah, she told them, "I'll be right back." The couple nodded and Savannah followed Xavier outside, where he stopped them in the driveway. Before Savannah spoke, Xavier captured her lips with his in a kiss. Savannah returned it and then stepped back. "I thought you wanted to talk?"

"I do want to talk, Savvy. I want to talk about us," he replied.

Savannah raised an eyebrow. "Okay. What about us?"

"I want us to be more than what we are, Savvy," he told her honestly.

Savannah found it hard to respond to that. She did like Xavier, she knew that, but was afraid to express her feelings for him, which was why she kept him at arms' length. Finally, she said, "Xavier, I…really don't know what to say to that. I liked you, but I was afraid to express how I felt."

"So, where do we stand?" he asked.

Savannah wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "How's this for an answer?" Then, before Xavier could speak, she kissed him softly but passionately.

He answered her back by returning her kisses and then pulled away, breathing in and out to get his thoughts in order. "I liked that answer," he said, grinning at her, touching his forehead to hers.

Savannah smiled. "I knew you would. Xavier, I never want to keep you at arms' length again. I want to be with you. I…I love you."

"I love you too, Savannah Grace Gilbert," he said softly.

Savannah smiled. "We can't keep this to ourselves. We have to tell our families the news. I know that they're celebrating Liam and Carrie's engagement, as well as Dante and Andrea's reunion, but this is another happy occasion."

"Why don't we start by telling our parents first, okay?" he suggested.

Savannah nodded. "That sounds good to me."

Xavier nodded as well and they went to go find John and Meredith as well as Kol and Lexi, gathering the four of them into the kitchen at the boardinghouse. "What on earth is this all about, Savannah?" Meredith asked once they all had privacy.

Savannah cleared her throat. "Mom, the reason we called you in here is because we have news we'd like to share with you."

John nodded. "What's that, sweetheart?"

"I told Xavier how I felt about him."

"Since when do you feel anything for him?" Meredith asked.

"Since always," her daughter replied. "I just…kept it to myself because I wasn't sure of my feelings for him."

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" her father asked.

"I'm sure, Daddy. Xavier is the one I want," Savannah replied.

John nodded. "Then, you have my blessing." He looked at Meredith. "And your mother's as well."

Savannah grinned then launched herself at her father, hugging him tight before hugging her mother. Kol and Lexi saw John and Meredith hugging Savannah and did the same to Xavier. Their oldest son gave them a quizzical look and they pulled back, knowing it was embarrassing him. Kol cleared his throat. "Sorry about that, son. Your mother and I are happy for you."

"Its okay, Dad," Xavier said then pulled his father into a breath-stealing embrace.

Kol returned his hug. "We love you, Xavier. You deserve nothing but the best."

Lexi smiled as she watched the two of them, their looks similar except for Xavier's blonde hair, which was inherited from her. Xavier stepped back and then hugged his mother. Lexi smiled and returned his hug. "We're so proud of you, Xavier," she tells him.

Xavier smiled. "I know, Mum. I love you both so much."

Just then, Xavier's younger sister, Nadia, came bouncing into the room. With a mix of the hair colors of both of her parents, her mother's smile and her father's height, Nadia was no doubt a Mikaelson. "Mum, what are you and Father doing in here? You're missing the party!"

Kol smiled at his daughter. "We're in here because we heard that your brother and Savannah have announced that they're in love."

Nadia squealed then hugged Savannah tight and then hugged her brother. "Why are you hiding in here? Everyone should know!"

"We don't want to upstage them," Savannah said. "This is a celebration for Liam, Carrie, Dante and Andrea. We didn't want to take anything away from them."

"We won't mind," Liam said from the doorway. "Xavier is family, and families always celebrate."

Xavier smiled at his cousin. "That's true, families celebrate." He took Savannah's hand. "And tonight is certainly about family."

"Come on then," Liam said, gesturing for Xavier and Savannah, as well as Nadia to follow him. Xavier nodded and escorted Savannah inside, followed by his parents and Nadia.

Nadia went over to join Sean Fell and they began to exchange conversation quietly. Xavier noticed his sister going over to the Fell boy and shook his head. He knew she fancied him and although he was protective of her, there was nothing he could do about it.

Lexi noticed who he was looking at and placed a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "She's happy, just like you are, Xavier. Let her be happy," she said softly.

Xavier nodded. "All right, I'll let my sister be happy. Sean Fell seems like a decent fellow." Just then, Nadia giggled loudly at something Sean told her before turning to hug him. Xavier could see a few tears slide down her cheeks and he knew his sister was crying tears of joy. "I don't know what he said to her, but she's certainly happy about it."

"I think he's finally confessed his own feelings for her," Lexi replied.

Xavier smiled. "Is that right? Well, Nadia certainly does deserve to be happy. She's had quite a bit of heartbreak before she met Sean, so as long as my little sister is happy, that's all that matters."

"She's no longer the little girl that begged her big brother to help her make 'mud' pies. I just…I don't know where the time has gone," Lexi said on a choked response.

Xavier hugged his mother. "I've been wondering the same thing as I see Liam and Carrie together. It seems like yesterday that we were all playing together as children. Now, we're getting ready for the next chapter in our lives."

"You certainly are," Kol said as he moved to stand behind his wife, hugging her from behind.

Xavier smiled at his parents before joining Savannah, kissing her gently. "I didn't want you to think I neglected you, love."

"I know you hadn't. Your family comes first," she said softly as he nestled her close. She saw Nadia and Sean heading outside and she lifted an eyebrow. "What's going on with your sister and my cousin?"

"Your cousin confessed his feelings to my sister," Xavier said. "She's fancied him for some time now, but neither of them has made a move until tonight."

"I think it's because they've been watching the two of us dance around our own feelings for so long, having been friends for many years," Savannah told him.

"I think you're right," Xavier said. "And I'm definitely happy for them both."

**Later**…

Xavier and Savannah stumbled through the doorway of the rented hotel room, her hands fervently unbuttoning the shirt he wore open at the collar while his hands sought out the hem of her peasant blouse that she'd tucked into her bell-bottom jeans, seeking out the soft, fair skin he knew was underneath it. Savannah panted as she felt his hands on her while she got his shirt completely unbuttoned, slipping it off and throwing it onto the floor. "Xavier, I want you so badly."

Turning her until her back was to his front, Xavier let his hands remain in place, one keeping her in place while the other moved to the button of her bell-bottoms, unfastening it slowly. Savannah panted wildly and arched her back against his touch but Xavier calmed her down when he finally picked her up and carried her to the bed after kicking the door shut with one foot.

Xavier laid her down on the bed, following her onto cool sheets, kissing her hotly as he ran his hands up and down her body. She scooted out from under him and moved to put her head on the pillow at the top of the bed, and Xavier followed her, his fingers fumbling to push her blouse up and over her head. Savannah assisted him and, once her hands were free, placed them on his shoulders, pushing him until he was on his back.

Once he was on his back, Savannah crawled on top of him and kissed him passionately as she ran her hands up and down his body, earning her a groan from him as he returned her kiss, savoring the moment between them. "Savvy, darling, you're going to be the death of me," he said on a ragged groan at one point as he moved his hands to the demure bra that she wore, peeling it up and over her head in the same hasty manner that he'd discarded her blouse with.

Savannah giggled. "Well, let me guide you to paradise, my love." That being said, she undid the belt of his pants, as well as the button and zipper, pulling them down his legs, along with his boxers.

Her now-boyfriend returned the favor, stripping her free of her bell-bottoms and her cotton underwear. "So plain and simple, Van," he said with a smirk.

Savannah glided herself onto his member, rocking against his hips, Xavier thrusting in time with her rocking.

**Two Hours Later – Elsewhere**…

Gwendolyn Mikaelson was out walking in the square when she suddenly ran into a wall, but looked up to see that it was actually a person's chest. Not just a person, but a male person at that. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he said. "I didn't see you there. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Gwendolyn shook her head. "No, I'm okay. A bit startled, perhaps, but I'm okay."

"I'm Jordan, Jordan Gerard," he said, letting his hand outstretch toward hers.

"I'm Gwendolyn Mikaelson, but everyone knows me as Gwen," she said, accepting his outstretched hand.

Jordan smiled. "It's lovely to meet you, Gwen." He kissed her knuckles. "I know of your family. My father is friends with your uncle, Niklaus."

"You are the son of Marcel and Belinda Gerard?" Gwen asked on a gasp and Jordan chuckled then nodded.

"That would be me," he said.

"I can't believe my luck," Gwen said. "I'm meeting the son of Marcel and Belinda Gerard. Though, I did see you hanging around with my cousin."

"He's my best friend, actually," Jordan said. "I wanted to welcome him home from Vietnam, but I've been busy helping my father with his business."

"Actually he had a party today that was hosted by the parents of his fiancé Carrie Salvatore, that was over at the Salvatore Boardinghouse," Gwen said with a smile.

"Is it too late for me to go and congratulate the happy couple?"

"Nope, I'll take you myself," Gwen said, turning until she was standing beside him, placing her slender hand into the crook of his dark-skinned arm.

Jordan smiled at her. "Why, thank you, my lady."

Gwen giggled and they walked arm in arm toward the boarding house. Gwen knocked on the front door and it was quickly opened to reveal her Aunt Rebekah, who grinned and pulled Gwen into a fierce hug. Gwen returned her aunt's hug. "Hello, Aunt Rebekah. It's good to see you."

"And you as well, Gwen; please, come in," Rebekah said, stepping out of the doorway and letting them in. She turned to smile at Jordan. "And how are you doing, Jordan? How are your parents?"

Jordan smiled. "They're very well. I'll give them your regards."

"No bother, I'll be going to the opening night of the business. That is, if they're still planning to have it?" Rebekah asked.

Jordan nodded. "They certainly are. We've been planning this for weeks now, and nothing is going to stand in the way of it."

Rebekah was about to answer when Liam was seen coming toward them. He had seen Jordan coming in and wanted to come and greet his friend, whom he hadn't seen in what seemed like forever. "Jordan! It's good of you to come, mate."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world," he replied. "When Gwen told me that you were having an engagement party, I had to come and congratulate the happy couple."

Liam nodded and when Carrie came toward them, he put his arm around her. "Carrie, love, you remember Jordan Gerard, don't you?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "It's nice to see you again, Jordan. I was wondering when we were going to see you."

"I've been helping Mom and Dad with getting everything settled for the business' opening night," Jordan said.

Carrie nodded then noticed his eyes straying toward Gwen, who was talking to Dante and Andrea. "So tell me, Jordan, are you seeing anyone these days?"

Jordan was still looking at Gwen as he said, "No, not since my last relationship ended two years ago." He reluctantly looked toward Carrie again. "While we're on the subject, is Gwen seeing anyone?"

"No one that we know of," she replied. "She's kind of a…free spirit."

"I wouldn't say free spirit, per se, but she is still nursing a broken heart," Liam added.

Jordan nodded. "I see. Well, I guess I'll have to take this slow, let her know that I mean her no harm."

"You fancy my little cousin, do you?" Liam said. "Well, I can't say I blame you, since she's quite the beauty. She gets it from her mother."

"Francesca is a very lovely woman, Mom talks about how beautiful she is and the hard work she puts into the restaurant," Jordan said.

Liam nodded. "And you know; I didn't like the way her last suitor treated her. Gwen deserves to be happy, not miserable."

**Author's Note:** Time to end it here, so I hope you all liked it. Come back again for the next chapter, which will probably entail how Marcel & Klaus met in the non-supernatural world.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Previously in "His Box of Letters", Gwen meets Jordan Gerard and takes him to her cousin and Carrie's engagement party, and Jordan admits his attraction to Gwen._**

_**Chapter Five**_

**_14 Years Earlier_**_…_

_"Caroline, love, we're here," Klaus whispered to his sleeping wife as they sat in the front part of their car. She stirred into a waking state at his soft voice then turned to smile sleepily at him._

_Yawning, she said, "I didn't mean to fall asleep like that."_

_"It's quite all right, love," he replied. "The children have been keeping you busy lately. I wouldn't be a good husband if I didn't make sure you had a break."_

_His wife nodded then glanced around at where they were. "What brings us to New Orleans?" she asked._

_"We are here to see an old friend of mine that used to live in Richmond, but moved here after he met his wife overseas," Klaus replied._

_Caroline nodded. "He sounds like a great guy."_

_"His wife certainly thinks so," he replied. "And you'll think so as well when you meet him."_

_Just then, the front door to the house they'd stopped at opened and revealed an African-American couple, the woman who was expecting, with a toddler holding onto his father's hand. "Is that them?" Caroline asked._

_"That is them," Klaus replied. Together, he and Caroline stepped out of the car before she opened the back door of the car, helping Liam, Anastasia and Lillian out while Klaus picked up a sleeping Sebastian and carried him in his arms to meet the other couple._

_Marcel Gerard smiled as he saw their guests approach. "Well, well, if it isn't Niklaus Mikaelson. How have you been, my friend?"_

_Klaus returned his smile. "Oh, can't complain." He presented Caroline to him. "Marcel Gerard, I'd like you to meet my wife, Caroline. Caroline, this is Marcel."_

_"It's nice to finally put a face to the name, Caroline," Marcel said then turned to the woman next to him. "Niklaus, I'd also like to extend the introduction of my beautiful wife, Belinda. Belinda, this is Klaus Mikaelson."_

_Belinda smiled. "It's nice to meet you both."_

_Caroline returned her smile. "The feeling is likewise."_

_"And who are these four lovely little ones?" Marcel asked Klaus as he noticed the other couple's children._

_"This is Liam, he's our eldest," Klaus said, putting his hand gently on top of Liam's dark blonde curls, which matched his father's. "And the two girls with Caroline are our daughters, Anastasia and Lillian." Then he pointed to Sebastian, just waking up from the nap he had in the car. "And this handsome fellow is our youngest, Sebastian."_

_Marcel smiled and presented the boy whose hand he was holding. "This is Jordan, our eldest." Jordan looked toward Liam, waving at him and received a wave in return._

_Both of their fathers smiled at each other before Belinda tugged gently on her husband's arm and he turned to look at her. "Perhaps we should get inside before it gets cold?" she suggested._

_Marcel nodded. "Good idea." He turned toward their guests. "How about we continue this inside? That way, we can relax and the kids can socialize, especially Liam and Jordan."_

_Klaus nodded in agreement. "That sounds good to me."_

_That being said, they all went inside, Belinda shutting the door behind them. As they walked further in, Caroline was in awe of the way it was decorated. "You've got a lovely home, Belinda."_

_Belinda smiled. "Thank you, Caroline. I always make sure that the place is suitable for when guests come by."_

_Caroline nodded. "You have to give me some tips. I never can seem to get anything right when I invite guests over."_

_Belinda smiled at the blonde. "Don't worry; I'll give you some pointers. And you're not the first to ask me, either. I've been asked many times by my friends to give them advice."_

_Caroline returned her smile. "Thank you so much, Belinda. I appreciate it."_

_Before Belinda could reply verbally to her, a quick knock was heard before a dark-haired female stepped into the doorway cautiously. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she immediately said._

_Belinda smiled. "No, Sophie, it's okay, you're not interrupting. In fact, I'd like you to meet my new friend, Caroline Mikaelson. Caroline, this is Sophie Deveraux."_

_Caroline smiled at the other woman. "Hello."_

_Sophie smiled sweetly back in response, but Caroline could tell immediately that it was totally fake, especially when Caroline followed the brunette's glance to where Marcel stood talking to Klaus while Jordan and Liam played nearby._

_**Later**…_

_Marcel was walking around the garden when his path was suddenly cut off. "How come you never come to see me any more, Marcellus? I thought we had a good thing going," Sophie demanded._

_"Sophie, you need to get out of here. I told you before, I'm married now and happily so," he ground out._

_But she ignored the married part of his sentence and moved closer, her fair-skinned fingers trailing up his chest until she had wrapped her arms around his neck. "Belinda doesn't have to know about it, and neither does the child," she said, referring to Jordan._

_Marcel sneered at her and pushed her off him. "I said, get out! You're not welcome here! Whatever you want, you're not getting it!"_

_"What's with all the yelling? Jordan is resting," Belinda said from the doorway of the back porch, her hand resting protectively on her belly._

_"It's nothing," Sophie ground out before turning to stomp off._

_Marcel glared after her then turned back to his wife. "I'm sorry that you had to witness that, Lindy," he said._

_"Don't you start with the nicknames, Marcellus; I told you that you shouldn't see her any more, and what do you go and do? You disobeyed me," she ground out at him, preventing him from stepping closer to her by putting distance between them when she closed the back screened door._

_Marcel opened the door and went back into the house. "Belinda, you have to believe me. I didn't do anything. Sophie was trying to seduce me and I stopped her. I love you, you have to know that."_

_"If you loved me, you wouldn't have given into her charms," she growled at him, waddling further away from him._

_Marcel grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. "Is this proof enough that you're the only one I love?" Before Belinda could reply, he kissed her passionately and ran his fingers up and down her body._

_When he felt her going lax in his arms, Marcel gently peppered kisses over her lips before finally ending them as he rested his forehead against hers. "You sure do know how to make a woman forget her anger," she whispered with a soft smile._

_"I love you and only you, Lindy," he replied. "Sophie means nothing to me. You and our family are the only things that matter to me."_

_"Good. Because I was thinking that we could name the baby after Camille, unless you don't want to?" Belinda said._

_Marcel nodded. "That's a good idea. Camille is a beautiful name."_

_"I was thinking more…Cameron than Camille, because we don't want to confuse them right?" Belinda told him._

_Marcel chuckled. "Right, of course; Cameron is a beautiful name for a girl."_

_"I think so too," Belinda said. "That's why I suggested it."_

_Her husband smiled then stole another quick kiss. "For now, why don't you, my beautiful chocolate angel, go upstairs and rest? I'll get Jordan when it's time for him to get up," he told her, turning her around and walking behind her to their downstairs bedroom._

_Belinda nodded as he followed her. "I guess I am a bit tired." She yawned. "I never knew how hormones could tire one out."_

_"There's my good girl. I'll see you in a bit," he said, helping her into bed and tucking her in._

_Belinda smiled at him. "See you in a bit, my love."_

_Her husband smiled back then kissed her forehead softly before he exits their bedroom and closes the door gently behind him. As he walked down the hall, Marcel smiled, knowing that his wife still loved him. He would do anything for Belinda and their family, because they meant everything to him._

_**Meanwhile**…_

_Klaus and Caroline walked around New Orleans with Liam, Anastasia, Lillian and Sebastian, as the family looked at all the sights there was to see. "I think it's beautiful here, but what is really the significance of this trip, Nik?" Caroline asked as they watched their children play with some pebbles down at the waterfront._

_Klaus smiled at his wife. "I guess there's no point in keeping this from you, so I'll tell you. I see us living here one day. Don't get me wrong, I love Mystic Falls, but I would like to live here."_

_"I think that sounds like a fabulous idea," Caroline said with a grin. "I mean, we'd still be surrounded by plenty of wooded area, but we'd also have more chance to teach the children how to swim, especially in the deeper waters."_

_Klaus nodded and kissed her. "I agree with you completely, love."_

_"When do we start packing and saying our goodbyes?" she asked._

_"As soon as possible, I think," Klaus said. "It won't be easy for the children to say goodbye to their friends, but it's not like they won't be able to visit from time to time."_

_"More importantly, saying goodbye to their cousins," Caroline agreed._

_Klaus nodded. "Yes, definitely, considering how close they are with each other."_

_His wife nodded in agreement. "Especially Liam and Xavier, always making things hard on their mommies," she said with a grin._

_Klaus chuckled. "They're the exact replica of Kol and me when we were younger. There was no limit to mischief the two of us got into."_

_"That's the way I heard that Katherine, Elena and Tatia were, since they were triplets," Caroline said._

_Klaus chuckled. "Wow, triplets? Oh dear God, that's triple the trouble."_

_Caroline nodded. "Yeah, which kind of makes me grateful I wasn't born a twin or a triplet." She then saw him look at her. "What?"_

_"I wouldn't rule that out entirely," Klaus said. "They say everyone has someone that looks like them, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if somewhere, you have an unknown twin."_

_"Well, if I do, it means that we have a stronger chance to have multiples in the future," Caroline told him._

_Klaus raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you saying that…?"_

_Caroline smiled and placed his hand on her belly. "Here, feel for yourself." He did as she asked then waited patiently for a few minutes and then felt not one flutter, but two. Klaus looked at his wife as he felt the two flutters. Caroline smiled at his reaction. "Yes, it's twins. I meant to tell you before, but you were planning to visit Marcel."_

_"I'm happy now that you've told me," he said with a grin, leaning over to kiss her softly._

_Caroline smiled and kissed him. "I love you, Niklaus." She placed her hand on top of his. "We all love you."_

_"I love all of you too," he said, turning to smile as their four older children came running up to them with big grins on their faces._

_Caroline hugged the children as they came up to them, smiling lovingly. Although this was going to be a big adjustment for all of them, she knew that they couldn't stay in Mystic Falls forever._

**Present Day**…

Jordan knew he was walking into dangerous territory as he helped Gwen strip away her clothes then hovered above her gently. "Are you sure that this is what you want?" he asked softly.

Gwen nodded. "Yes, Jordan, it is. I want to be with you." She kissed him. "You're the only thing that matters. I don't care about anything but you. It's obvious that Liam knows about your attraction to me. In fact, he encouraged you to pursue me."

He nodded then picked up her slender, fair-skinned fingers and placed them at the collar of his dark shirt. Gwen wasted no time in removing his shirt and kissed him again, a bit more passionately this time. Jordan returned her kiss, running his hands up and down her body.

The blonde moaned quietly as she stroked her hands down his dark-skinned, broad chest, built mainly of muscles…which turned her on immensely. Jordan groaned at the feel of her hands on his chest, his muscles tingling with each stroke of her fingers. He was just as turned on as she was. "Don't tease, Gwen. It's not nice."

The words he spoke sent a shiver up her spine, but more in the tone he spoke in. It was low, husky and extremely sexy. Gwen licked her lips. "I guess I should get started then, shouldn't I?"

**Three Hours Later**…

The soft stroke of his dark-skinned fingers lulled Gwen into sleep quickly, but Jordan remained wide awake, thinking about how he was going to break it to his parents about Gwen. As he watched her sleep, Jordan smiled at her. She was so beautiful and he silently vowed to never break her heart, like the last guy she dated did.

**At the Lockwood Mansion**…

Mason knelt by the bed that his wife lay in and she reached a hand gently out to him, his practically dwarfing her slender, olive-skinned fingers as she stroked his hand. "I don't want you to go," he said with tears in his eyes.

"I know, Mason my love, but it's time," she said, her tears matching his. Her sisters, nieces and nephews stood nearby, with Damon and Elijah comforting them all.

Mason nodded slowly. "I just wish it wasn't. What am I going to do without you?"

Tatia gestured for him to join her in their bed and she cradled Mason close as he cried quietly. "You will have Tanya and Melinda guiding you through the harder stuff and our boys will be there to make sure that you remain as tough as ever," she told him.

Mason nodded. "I'll try to be strong for them."

"Good. If you need assistance, Mom and Dad or Elena, Kat, Damon and Elijah can help you," Tatia told him with a weak smile.

"I'll be sure to ask either one of them if I need it," Mason said. "I've been through worse than this, though. Richard and I lost our father when we were boys and it was the hardest thing to endure. Thankfully, we had other family to help us through it."

"Losing or saying goodbye to your wife is a totally different story, though," Tatia told him. Her fingers stroking his hair were getting weaker by the second and she eventually let them drift back to her sides, Mason returning to his kneeling position and fingers making a gesture of prayer, locked tightly together.

Damon saw Mason praying by Tatia's side and approached him, standing by him. He knew the other man didn't know he was there, but he didn't care. Damon placed a gentle hand on the older man's shoulder and Mason reached back with one hand, placing his own over Damon's. Damon felt Mason place his hand on his and smiled sadly at him. "I know; we all love her."

Mason nodded and smiled tearfully up at the dark-haired man. "Thanks, Damon. Not just for being here with Elena, but for everything," he said softly as he looked back at Tatia, who had her sisters on the other side of her, the three of them grasping tightly onto each other.

"We knew that Tatia would want her family here when she takes her last breath," Damon said. "We also knew you needed support."

Mason nodded solemnly as he remembered what had brought them all here, to this moment in time:

_**Two Years Earlier**…_

"Tatiana, are you home?" Mason called out as he stepped into the Lockwood family mansion, where he and Tatia lived with Tanya, Melinda and their boys. When he didn't get a response from his wife, he got worried. "Tatiana, where are you?" Mason searched through the mansion and finally, he found her on the floor in the bathroom. She looked horrible and it scared him. "T, what happened?"

He knelt down beside her but she still didn't stir even when he picked her up easily in his arms as if she weighed lighter than a feather. After a few minutes, Tatia looked up at him. "Mason?"

"Yes, baby, I'm here," he replied. "Tell me, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," she said in a hoarse reply.

Mason lifted her off the floor. "Well, I'm not going to have you stay on the floor. I'm putting you in bed." His wife doesn't reply, just holds onto him as he carries her into their bedroom, placing her gently on the bed before going to grab some cloths and some cold water to use. "I may not know what's wrong with you, Tatia, but I'm going to take care of you, like I've always done."

**The Next Day**…

Meredith brought her stethoscope away from Tatia's chest and looked up at Mason. "This doesn't look good, Mason. If my diagnosis is correct, Tatiana could very well have influenza," she told the dark-haired man.

Mason was scared as he asked, Influenza? Is there anything you can do for her?

Meredith shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mason, but there's nothing to be done. She's only got a short time to live. The only thing that you can do is make sure she's comfortable."  
The man nodded, looking solemn as he glanced at the sleeping form of his wife in the bed. Meredith saw the solemn look on his face and hugged him. "I am so sorry, Mason. I know it's not enough, but I really am sorry."

Mason nodded and returned her hug. "I'll let her family know. Tatiana is going to want to see them before the end."

Mason let his mind ease back into the present day, when he saw his wife reaching for him once again. "Never forget that I love you with every fiber of my being, Mason Alexander," she said in a weak voice, her hand clasping tightly onto his as she began taking her final breaths.

Mason felt fresh tears in his eyes as he replied, "I will always love you too, Tatiana."

With one final squeeze of his hand, Tatia felt her spirit leaving her body and she closed her eyes, giving in to the inevitable and letting herself fly away without any more pain. Elena and Katherine held onto each other as they watched their sister pass on to the next world, crying quietly. Damon and Elijah went over to their wives, hugging them consolingly.

**A Few Days Later**…

Carrie, Elena, Katie and Juliet huddled together under one umbrella with Damon holding it above their heads. Under another one stood Katherine, Maria, and Kimberly, with Elijah holding it. Mason stood holding a third, with Tanya and Melinda standing underneath it. Mason tried to hold back his tears as he heard Pastor Young spoke, wanting to be brave for his children. He wanted to be strong, especially for Tanya and Melinda, who didn't have their mother to guide them. Tanya hugged her father tight, as though feeling his emotions. "I love you, Daddy. I'm sorry if it didn't seem like it, but I really do love you."

Hugging her against his side, Mason pressed an affectionate kiss to her temple. "And I love you too, Tanya Louise." She would be the light in his life; that much he knew, since she was so much like her mother that it almost frightened him.

**Salvatore Boardinghouse – After the Service**…

Carrie stood out on the covered porch while the rest of the family was inside. She wanted to be by herself for a little while and get away from the depression that she had to witness at her aunt's funeral. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let the breeze touch her face and play in her hair. Just then, she felt a pair of strong arms encase themselves around her, as well as lips kissing her neck. She didn't have to guess who it was because she already knew. "Hello, Liam. How did you know I needed you?"

"Intuition," he replied. "That and I couldn't bear to let my future wife be in mourning by herself." Before she could say anything else, he added, "In fact, how about we get out of here?"

Carrie's blue eyes shot open and she turned around in his arms then asked, "As in right now?"

Liam nodded. "Yes. I can't stand all of this depression."

"I see your point, but where are we going to go?"

"New Orleans." He saw that she was about to say something, but stopped her. "I know you already saw everything when you visited me in the past, but there's something that I want to show you that cannot wait."

Carrie raised an eyebrow at him, not sure what this was about. "Liam Niklaus Mikaelson, what did you do?"

Liam couldn't help but chuckle at his future wife's skepticism. "Relax, love, I didn't do anything bad. In fact, when you see what I mean, you'll love me even more." He stepped back and took her hand. "Come, we better leave while there's still daylight." Carrie nodded and let him lead her out to his truck. Then, once they were inside, he started the engine and they drove away from the boardinghouse.

Damon and Elena watched them from the window, wondering where they were going at an hour like this. "She'll be fine. She is no longer our little girl, you know," Damon whispered in Elena's ear, his arms wrapped around her from behind.

Elena nodded. "I know, but I'm curious as to why Liam would whisk her away like this."

"He probably wants to cheer her up, like a good future husband should."

"Of course he does. Just like you did before we walked down the aisle all those years ago," Elena said with a soft smile.

Damon chuckled at that. "I remember that. You were, and still are, the most beautiful woman in the world and I was, and still am, the luckiest man in the world to have you."

"Oh, I don't know. I think I was the luckiest girl," she said with a smirk.

**New Orleans – Later On**…

Carrie looked at the mansions that lined the Garden District, still curious about why Liam brought her here. She finally decided to speak up. "Liam, why did you bring us here? I know you want to show me something, but what is it?"

Liam smiled at her and pulled the truck up in front of a mansion with a For Sale sign in front of it. He looked at her and said, "This is what I want to show you, love. I saw this place and I thought it would be perfect for us."

Her head tilts to the side as she looks up at the beautiful and massive mansion, truly awed by the beauty of it. "It is perfect, Liam, but why for us? You're not considering moving us here, are you?" Carrie asked.

"I thought that maybe you'd love New Orleans as much as I did. I also thought of the possibility of raising our future children here."

"Liam, you know I love you, but what about college? I'll have to transfer all of my credits to Tulane," she told him.

Liam took her hands in his. "Carrie, I'm not saying that we had to move in right now. I know the guy who is selling it and he can hold on to it for us. I just wanted to show it to you, get your opinion on it. I respect your opinion, love, and I would never do anything without consulting with you first."

**Author's Note:** And here comes the ending to another chapter, so do enjoy this one and remember to come and leave me a review; they're very awesome to see!


	6. Chapter 6

**_Previously in "His Box of Letters", Tatia succumbs to influenza and Liam takes Carrie to New Orleans to show her a mansion in the Garden District that was up for sale._**

**Chapter Six**

**Elijah and Katherine's Mansion – Later that Night**…

Katherine sat in the kitchen, a cup of tea in her hand. She found it difficult to sleep that night, mostly because she was still thinking about the funeral and just how miserable Mason looked. He really loved Tatia and to lose her like that was devastating. Of course, Tatia was also her and Elena's sister, and losing their baby triplet sister was also equally devastating. She glanced up when she sensed a presence and smiled sadly at her husband, his handsome features doing a little good to comfort her sadness away.

Elijah walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table with her, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. "I know how you feel, Katerina. I lost a brother long ago and I was devastated beyond belief."

"You never told me this," she said softly as she turned her hand over to intertwine their fingers together.

Elijah watched her as she intertwined their fingers. "I never told anyone, actually. Not until now."

"Was he younger or older?" she asked.

"He was actually between Finnegan and me," Elijah replied.

Katherine saw that he was becoming emotional as he spoke. "I'm so sorry, Elijah. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Elijah shook his head. "No, I want to. I've kept it to myself for too long."

Katherine laid her head on his shoulder as she scooted to sit in his lap, her hands gently stroking his bare shoulders and up his neck before resting her arms at the back of his neck, at the width of his shoulders. "What was his name?"

"His name was Thomas," Elijah said. "His death hit us hard, but it was hardest for me because I was there when he died." He kissed her forehead. "It's been years since I was able to speak his name."

Katherine nodded. "You must really miss him."

"I do," Elijah said. "Seeing you witness your sister's passing reminded me of what I went through with Thomas."

"You two were obviously close, if you still miss him to this day," Katherine said softly.

Elijah nodded. "We were. That's why his death hit me the hardest."

"Tatiana and I were close growing up, and when we eventually began to drift apart and do our own thing, she still came to me first when she wanted to tell me about meeting Mason for the first time, because we made a pact to be not only sisters, but also friends for the rest of our lives. Elena was in on it too, but she also had Damon in her life, so I felt alone…until you came along and swept me off my feet," she told him.

Elijah smiled. "Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me, Katerina. You made my life worth living."

"I feel exactly the same way. You brought the sunshine back and took the darkness away," she told him with a grin.

Elijah kissed her. "You took the darkness away for me too. The first time I saw you, I fell hopelessly in love with you."

"The first time that you touched me, when you brushed your lips over mine…that was when I knew I had found my true soul mate," Katherine said.

"I felt the exact same way," Elijah said. "I wouldn't trade what I have with you for anything. You and our children mean the world to me."

Katherine smiled. "You're an amazing husband and a wonderful father, Elijah."

"And so are you, Katerina," Elijah replied.

Katherine smiled and hugged him, kissing his cheek and then moving to his lips. "Thank you for being so supportive, Elijah."

"I'll always be supportive, Katerina," he told her.

Katherine smiled. "That's one of the things I love the most about you."

"And I you," he replied. He kissed her softly one more time then scooped her into his arms, carrying her bridal style toward the stairs.

Katherine let out a laugh as her husband carried her upstairs. She couldn't help but fall even more in love with him at that moment, because he knew just what to do to make her feel better.

**Meanwhile**…

Their daughter Maria was sweeping her raven-brown locks of hair out of her face as she climbed out of the indoor pool Elijah had put in on the back of the property when she sensed a presence nearby and she whirled around. "Whoever is there, show yourself!" she called out.

As soon as Maria got that out, a young man emerged from where he had been hiding. "I'm sorry, miss, I didn't mean to startle you."

Maria scowled at him. "That's a likely story. You probably get a rise out of frightening young ladies out of their skins."

"On the contrary, I don't get a rise out of frightening young ladies. Not when they are bare for the entire neighborhood to see," the man said, turning around. Maria shrieked when she looked down and quickly put the towel around her before grabbing the robe she'd brought out with her and putting it on then tightly tying the knot to hold it in place.

"Okay, you can turn around now," Maria told the man.

The man turned around and smiled when he saw Maria in her robe. He had to admit, she was beautiful, like one of the old Hollywood starlets. Of course, Maria had a natural beauty compared to them. Clearing his throat, he said, "I'm really sorry for scaring you like that earlier."

Maria shook her head. "It's okay, really. I just didn't expect to see anyone else out here." She smiled at him. "I'm Maria Mikaelson. Who might you be?"

Gently thrusting his hand at her, he gave her a soft smile. "My name is Gavin Donovan and it's nice to meet you," he replied.

Maria smiled and took his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Gavin." Then, her eyes went wide. "Wait, are you related to Matt Donovan?"

"Yeah, he's my father. Why do you ask?" Gavin said.

At that moment, Colin came outside, seeing that his sister was talking to someone. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing with my sister?"

Maria scowled at her brother, not appreciating the interruption. "Colin, stop it! Gavin and I were just talking!"

"Yeah, mate, we were only talking," Gavin piped in.

Colin growled at Gavin. "I'm not your mate, mate. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

Maria grabbed her brother and slapped him across his face so hard, it made his nose bleed. "Damn you, Colin, I said stop it! I don't need you to protect me all the time!"

"You don't know what he's done, sister!" Colin groaned through holding his nose, his words muffled.

Maria looked at Gavin. "What is he talking about, Gavin? Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"You need to keep your trap shut, Mikaelson. You are not going to bring that topic up, because it's all in the past!" Gavin yelled.

Turning to his sister, Colin kept his eyes on Gavin as he said, "Did you know that Matt Donovan is not Gavin's real father?"

Maria refused to believe what she was hearing and stood her ground. "What does it matter who his real father is? Colin, if you're telling me this to discourage me, it's not working."

"Well, it should. Stay away from him, Maria; he's not good enough for my sister," he ground out before turning to walk back into the mansion.

Maria stuck her tongue out at Colin and as soon as she and Gavin were alone again, she said, "I won't stay away from you, whether or not you're Matt Donovan's son is of no concern to me." She went over to him and took his hand. "I'm more interested in you, and not your family name."

"Well, I should tell you that Matt really isn't my father. My father is actually Tyler Lockwood, but my mom, April, married Matt anyway and I took his name instead of the name Lockwood," Gavin told her.

Maria nodded and took his other hand. "I appreciate the honesty, Gavin. You're a good man, regardless of what Colin said." Ignoring her pounding heart, she got closer and kissed him. "As I said, I have no intention of staying away from you." He cut off the rest of her words, claiming her lips firmly with his as he wrapped both arms around her. His tongue began to roll and thrust around after gently asking for permission to gain entrance between her lips. Maria moaned against his mouth as they deepened the kiss. Her heart pounded and her pulse raced. Finally, she pulled back, catching her breath. "That…felt…wonderful."

"Yes," he replied before he captured her lips once more and then they were suddenly interrupted by the familiar voice of her father from behind Gavin.

"Maria Lourdes Mikaelson, what are you doing up so late?" Elijah asked from the doorway that led from the back porch into the mansion's kitchen.

Maria turned to look at her father. "Father, I…"

Elijah raised his hand, cutting her off. "Get inside this instant, young lady. Say good night to Mr. Donovan."

"Good night," she said quickly to Gavin before rushing past him and her father both to head into the mansion, where she was greeted by her mother, who opened her arms to Maria as the teenager fell into them, sobbing quietly into the material of her mother's robe.

Katherine held her daughter close. "It's okay, I've got you." She knew what it was like to have a forbidden love, having almost gone through that with Elijah.

Maria stepped back after a few minutes, looking at her mother. "I don't understand, Mother. Why can't Gavin and I be together? He's not a bad person."

"Why don't you let me talk to your father and Colin? I think they need to hear it from a higher point of view, okay?" Katherine said with a soft smile. Her fingers gently stroked her daughter's hair as she thought silently about what she would say that could change both her husband's and son's minds.

Maria nodded. "Thank you, Mother. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"Don't thank me quite yet, Maria. We still need to get through the persuasion part," Katherine said with another smile.

Maria nodded. "Right, I forgot about that."

"It's okay, you were caught up in the moment," Katherine said. "Now, we need to figure out how to convince your father and Colin to let you see Gavin."

The next day, Katherine signaled for Maria to join her. "I've arranged for Gavin to meet you in the town square tonight, so try not to be late," she said softly.

Maria nodded then headed out of the house to head off to the high school.

**Later that Night**…

Her dark hair moving wildly around her face, Maria glanced around the town square before she finally spots Gavin and runs to him, his arms embracing her as their mouths immediately crash together, the caress passionate, demanding and…exactly what Maria needed right then. "Gavin…" she said in a soft murmur after breaking off the kiss.

Gavin smiled at her, moving his hands up to frame her face. "I know, Maria." He kissed her softly. "So, do you think your mom can convince your father and brother to let us be together?"

"I hope so," she replied. "Father and Colin can't keep me from seeing you. They don't see what I see when I look at you."

He smiled again then moved her forward a little to press his lips to her forehead in a soft, gentle caress. "They'll hopefully see the light."

"My mother is very persistent," Maria said. "She'll get them to agree with her."

Gavin nodded. "You're an amazing woman, Maria Mikaelson. I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on you."

"You only met me last night," she said in confusion.

"True, but I've been watching you up until then," Gavin said. "I…hope that doesn't scare you."

"No. In fact, it does the complete opposite," she replied.

Gavin nodded. "Good, because I hate to think that I scared the woman that has come to mean so much to me."

**Back at the Mansion**…

"You let her go to see this young man, Katerina? I thought I had told her no!" Elijah said. He refused to raise his voice to his wife because he hardly ever did.

Katherine stood her ground. "Elijah, she's not a little girl anymore. I realize that you want to protect her, but she doesn't want that. Do you remember when we started out? We nearly had a forbidden love and I won't let my daughter go through that. I know the Donovan family. Gavin is a good boy. I'm just sorry that you can't see that."

"He's not good enough for my daughter!" Elijah finally thundered in a loud voice, thus scaring Katherine, who trembled visibly.

"Well, that's what you think. I won't tolerate you trying to keep her locked up forever, Elijah, and if it takes opposing you at every corner, then so be it," Katherine ground out before turning to walk out of the kitchen in an angry manner.

Elijah grabbed her as she walked away from him. "Katerina, I don't want to be at odds with you."

Katherine pulled her hand out of his grip. "It's a little late for that, Elijah Soren Mikaelson. You forget how determined I can be, especially when it comes to my children."

With that being said, she stomped out of the room once again and out the front door, getting into her car and driving to the Salvatore mansion that her sister and Damon now lived in. Getting out of the car, Katherine walked up to the front door and lifted a trembling hand to knock with the brass knob. Damon answered the door and saw Katherine standing there. "Katherine, this is a surprise. What brings you here?"

Katherine threw herself into her brother-in-law's arms, the tears she had been holding back streaming down her face. "Elijah and I had a fight, Damon."

"Elena," Damon called out quietly over his shoulder.

"I'm coming, Damon," Elena called back. She finally appeared after a few minutes, finding her sister in Damon's arms. "Oh, Kat…what happened?"

"Elijah and I got into a huge fight over Maria, Lena," Katherine replied, leaving Damon's arms and moving into Elena's.

Elena hugged her sister tight. "Was it about her and Gavin?"

"Yes," she replied. "I told Maria she could see him and Elijah didn't like it. He wants to keep her locked away forever and I don't want that. I don't want her to have a forbidden love."

Elena nodded then guided Katherine into the living room, where they sat down on the couch, Katherine still wrapped in her sister's comforting embrace. The silent wish to have their other sister, their beloved baby sister Tatiana, there with them seemed to speak high volumes as they sat with Elena rocking Katherine gently. Damon watched his wife and sister-in-law comfort each other. He hated seeing Katherine this upset. "I could talk to Elijah for you if you want me to, Katherine."

"I'll talk to him. You stay here with Katerina," Elena said, and was about to get up but Katherine wouldn't let her, clinging tightly. "On second thought, that might be a better idea."

Damon nodded. "I'll be back." He looked at the women before he left. "Don't worry, Katherine, we'll figure this out." With that, he walked out of the mansion, closing the door behind him. He didn't know if Elijah would listen to him, but it was worth a try.

Arriving at the Mikaelson mansion where Elijah and Katherine resided, he knocked on the door. Elijah answered a few minutes later, giving Damon a glare. "What do you want, Damon?"

Damon returned his glare, ignoring the way the other man had spoken to him. "You know damn well what I want. Katherine is at my house now, crying because of a fight you two had in regards to Maria."

"She disrespected that I didn't want to have our daughter dating someone who was not rich or almost royalty," Elijah said, crossing his arms over his chest sternly.

Damon growled. "Oh, will you wake up and look around? This isn't the medieval period, it's the twentieth century! So what if the Donovan family isn't wealthy? That shouldn't matter! What should matter is how Maria and Gavin feel about each other!"

"He works with horses! Maria doesn't ride horses!" Elijah yelled.

"She can learn, can't she?" Damon sighed. "Listen…Elijah, you say you're a man of honor, but is it honorable to keep your daughter from being with the man she loves and risk her hating you for it? I know that Carrie would've hated me if I didn't allow her and Liam to be together."

"Maybe you're right, Damon, and maybe you're not right. But, you can't judge me on my parenting!" Elijah said.

"I'm not trying to judge you, Elijah, but maybe you should look at how Katherine does it and then you can complain about me judging you, okay?" Damon told him.

Elijah wanted to reply, but found it difficult to find the words. He knew that Damon had a point, but was too stubborn to see it. Perhaps he should look at how Katherine did things. Sighing, he said to his brother-in-law, "What do you think I should do? Katerina was near tears when she left."

"Find a way to work it out," Damon said. "That's what Elena and I do whenever we have our disputes. You and Katherine have been through so much since you got married and besides, Tatia wouldn't want to see you two at odds like this. She would want you two to work it out."

Elijah then knew that Damon was right, that Tatia would want him and Katherine to work on their problems, no matter how big or small they were. Elijah was quiet for a while until he said, "You're right, Damon. Tatiana wouldn't want us to be fighting. In fact, she'd be appalled if she were here right now." He sighed. "I'll see if I can make things right with Katerina. I love her."

"You can do this, Elijah. Both Elena and myself have total faith in you and Katherine to work things out," Damon said.

Elijah smiled. "Thank you, Damon. I only hope she's not too angry at me."

Damon smiled back then reached out and clapped one of the other man's shoulders gently. "If she is, you'll just have to find a way to reach out to her. That's what I've always done with Elena."

Elijah nodded. "Thank you for your support, Damon. You're a good man."

"Don't thank me as of yet," Damon said.

Elijah nodded. "You're right. I still have to get Katerina to talk to me." He gave Damon a curious look. "How did you get Elena to talk to you after a dispute?"

"Well, I warm up the idea of getting her to forgive me, by sending her a bouquet of flowers from a 'secret admirer' and her favorite chocolates to go with the flowers," Damon replied.

Elijah smiled as he listened to what his brother-in-law was saying. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

"It really helps in the end," Damon told him.

Elijah nodded then Damon left and the older of the two got to work, calling the local florist and ordering a bouquet of Katherine's favorite flowers. Then he found a gift shop that sold chocolate, buying a gigantic box. Once he did all that, he had it sent to the address for the mansion before he headed to Finn and Sage's house, on the outskirts of town.

When Katherine got home, she saw the bouquet of flowers sitting on the front doorstep and she glanced around, wondering where they had come from. Shaking her head, she carried it and the box of her favorite chocolates into the foyer, where she placed the vase onto the entry table to read the card.

The contents of the card were as follows:

**_"Dearest Katherine,  
Please accept these flowers as a token of my affection for you. Though they pale in comparison to your beauty, you are definitely deserving of them. Any man would consider himself the luckiest man on earth to be with you._**

_**From,**_  
_**Your Secret Admirer…"**_

Katherine blinked as she read the card. The handwriting was very elegant and the words were very poetic. It was also very familiar. Where had she seen that kind of handwriting before? It hit her after a few minutes and she gasped in realization. "Elijah."

Just then, the house telephone extension rang, and Katherine moved around the corner to answer it in the living room, "Hello?"

"What are you wearing?" an accented voice, a very familiar one, asked on the other end.

"Is that a trick question?" Katherine ground out.

"What are you wearing?" the voice asked again before finally hanging up. Katherine was aghast by that question and perplexed by the sudden phone call. She was still thinking about it when she heard the front door open before she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind.

"Katerina, I am so very sorry for what I have done to upset you. I had no intention of doing that," her husband whispered softly into her hair.

Katherine felt tears welling up in her eyes as she heard him whisper his apology in her hair and turned around in his arms, wrapping hers around his neck. "I'm sorry too, Elijah. I only had good intentions, you have to know that."

Elijah wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I know you did, my love. It was wrong of me to question them. You wanted our daughter to be happy and to be free to make her own choices." He kissed her softly. "And I agree with you. If Gavin Donovan is the one she wants to be with, then so be it."

Katherine returned his kiss. "Thank you." She then grew concerned. "What about Colin? He's still dead set against the match."

Elijah nodded, kissing her again. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to Colin and convince him." He ran his hands down her waist. "For now, though, I want to be with my beautiful wife."

Katherine grinned then jumped until he caught her, her legs easily moving to wrap around his waist. "Then you shall have me," she whispered against his lips.

Elijah smiled and kissed her again, making off with her to the bedroom, closing the door behind them and locking it to ensure their privacy before laying her on the bed, following her down onto the sheets. Katherine wiggled free of his hold then moved up until her head lay on the pillow and Elijah followed her, embracing her once more as he connected their lips again.

Katherine hastily removed his jacket, throwing it to the floor, as well as his tie and shirt, running her hands up and down his bare chest. Elijah returned the favor, his hands soft and gentle as he removed her peasant blouse then her bell-bottom jeans. His mouth moved away from hers, down her neck as his teeth nipped gently along the skin. This drove Katherine wild with desire trying to claw its way to the surface of her blood, making it boil as she tried to keep it under control.

Elijah smirked against her neck. "Don't hold back, Katerina. Don't keep your desire locked up. Let it pour out of you."

Katherine let out a soft sound of desperation at his words, pushing on his broad shoulders until he landed with a grunt on his back onto the bed. "I love you, Elijah Soren Mikaelson," she whispered against his lips.

Elijah smiled against her lips, kissing her passionately. "I love you too, Katherine Vanessa Gilbert Mikaelson, now and forever."

From then on, he showed her how much he loved her and she did the same to him, fingers searching and lips locking. Hers glided over his broad shoulders as he sat them up until he could brush his chest against hers, despite the cotton bra that she wore. Katherine squirmed in delight at this motion, rocking her hips against his as her fingernails gently dug into the skin of his shoulders. "Elijah…"

Elijah felt her fingernails in his shoulders. "Katerina…"

Gliding herself upward, Katherine made quick work of his suit pants and then his boxers before gliding back down onto his hardened member. Elijah let a soft groan escape him as his head rested against her shoulder while he buried himself to the hilt inside of her warm, wet heat. Once she had adjusted to his size, Katherine began to rock her hips against his and Elijah growled, flipping them over and thrusting in and out of her in a hard, fast pace. "Oh, Elijah, please don't stop!" Katherine cried out, her fingernails moving over his back and digging into it, making small moon crescents.

Elijah let a passionate growl escape as he felt her nails dig deeper into his skin, doing as she asked of him. Katherine let out another long, low sound of passion as she finally felt herself catapulting over the edge in slow motion, Elijah's thrusts sending her over. "Katerina…" he ground out as he quickened his pace until he too, went flying with her.

**Two Hours Later**…

Katherine sighed as she and Elijah cuddled under the sheets of the bed, cooling down after the heat that erupted between them. She kissed his chest, tasting his sweat. "That was amazing."

"Yes it was, and I do apologize again for any hurtful thing that I said to you about how differently we raise Maria," he said softly as his fingers gently stroked her dark curls away from her sweat-matted forehead.

Katherine nodded. "It doesn't matter now, because I've forgiven you more than once for that." She kissed his chest again. "So, what's your plan for Colin? How are you going to get through to him?"

"I can't do with him what I did with you, so I'm going to have to go a different route," Elijah replied.

Katherine laughed and playfully smacked his arm. "Of course you can't, because that would be gross."

**Author's Note:** So, here seems like a good place to stop the chapter. The next one will start unfolding some major family drama, so be on the look out!


End file.
